Department for Transport

Department for Transport: Advertising

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much (a) Network Rail, (b) Transport for London, (c) his Department, (d) Transport for the North and (e) Rail North have spent on advertising in each year since 2009-10.

Paul Maynard: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 14 November 2017.The correct answer should have been:

Network Rail, Transport for London, the Department for Transport and Transport for the North carry out a range of different legislative and operational functions. The expenditure on advertising will reflect those functions. Network Rail and Transport for London have direct operational responsibility for transport networks and need to inform and advise users of those networks. The Department for Transport has national strategic, regulatory, operational and enforcement responsibilities. The role of Transport for the North is to provide a strategic transport vision for the North of England. Network Rail Network Rail’s expenditure on advertising focuses on public information campaigns including: level crossing safety campaigns; travel disruption information; and apprentice and graduate recruitment. Figures are in the table below. It includes spending across its network. Financial YearMedia Buying Spend Value2009/2010Not known2010/2011£1,865,5742011/2012£3,446,6792012/2013£2,863,7742013/2014£1,476,8052014/2015£3,210,6422015/2016£714,4982016/2017£915,154 Transport for London We do not hold figures for the amount Transport for London has spent on advertising. Department for Transport The central Department for Transport’s spend reflects its national role and the mix of responsibilities: Organisation2009-102010-112011-122012-132013-142014-152015-162016-172017-18Department for Transport Central£1,999,946£810,450£688,272£712,091£2,788,957£977,343£2,478,424£597,449£799,416The response contained information that was incorrect as a result of miscoding of the spend information in the departmental spend analytics system. These coding errors have been addressed. The central Department for Transport’s majority of advertising expenditure relates to the THINK! Road Safety campaign, which was incorrectly not included in the table in the original answer showing the central Department’s advertising expenditureOrganisation2009-102010-112011-122012-132013-142014-152015-162016-172017-18*Department for Transport Central£17,130,901£585,578£3,119,352£2,339,750£3,760,794£3,719,491£9,451,137£6,007,213£1,158,660 *2017/18 spend figures are up to October 2017.N.B.These figures reflect the change in policy in regards to paid-for advertising introduced by the Coalition Government following the May 2010 General Election.Transport for the North Transport for the North is responsible for the development of a long term, strategic transport vision for its region. It does therefore not have network management responsibilities, nor the advertising requirements that come with them. The figures below are therefore not comparable as the spending serves very different functions. The figures below cover spending by TfN on the advertising of vacancies required as the organisation has developed to take on its strategic transport planning role.  Expenditure2015/16No data2016/17£25k2017/18£25k Rail North We do not hold information about the expenditure of Rail North Ltd on advertising.

Paul Maynard: Network Rail, Transport for London, the Department for Transport and Transport for the North carry out a range of different legislative and operational functions. The expenditure on advertising will reflect those functions. Network Rail and Transport for London have direct operational responsibility for transport networks and need to inform and advise users of those networks. The Department for Transport has national strategic, regulatory, operational and enforcement responsibilities. The role of Transport for the North is to provide a strategic transport vision for the North of England. Network Rail Network Rail’s expenditure on advertising focuses on public information campaigns including: level crossing safety campaigns; travel disruption information; and apprentice and graduate recruitment. Figures are in the table below. It includes spending across its network. Financial YearMedia Buying Spend Value2009/2010Not known2010/2011£1,865,5742011/2012£3,446,6792012/2013£2,863,7742013/2014£1,476,8052014/2015£3,210,6422015/2016£714,4982016/2017£915,154 Transport for London We do not hold figures for the amount Transport for London has spent on advertising. Department for Transport The central Department for Transport’s spend reflects its national role and the mix of responsibilities: Organisation2009-102010-112011-122012-132013-142014-152015-162016-172017-18Department for Transport Central£1,999,946£810,450£688,272£712,091£2,788,957£977,343£2,478,424£597,449£799,416The response contained information that was incorrect as a result of miscoding of the spend information in the departmental spend analytics system. These coding errors have been addressed. The central Department for Transport’s majority of advertising expenditure relates to the THINK! Road Safety campaign, which was incorrectly not included in the table in the original answer showing the central Department’s advertising expenditureOrganisation2009-102010-112011-122012-132013-142014-152015-162016-172017-18*Department for Transport Central£17,130,901£585,578£3,119,352£2,339,750£3,760,794£3,719,491£9,451,137£6,007,213£1,158,660 *2017/18 spend figures are up to October 2017.N.B.These figures reflect the change in policy in regards to paid-for advertising introduced by the Coalition Government following the May 2010 General Election.Transport for the North Transport for the North is responsible for the development of a long term, strategic transport vision for its region. It does therefore not have network management responsibilities, nor the advertising requirements that come with them. The figures below are therefore not comparable as the spending serves very different functions. The figures below cover spending by TfN on the advertising of vacancies required as the organisation has developed to take on its strategic transport planning role.  Expenditure2015/16No data2016/17£25k2017/18£25k Rail North We do not hold information about the expenditure of Rail North Ltd on advertising.

Railways: Portsmouth

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to increase the (a) speed and (b) reliability of rail services between Portsmouth and London.

Paul Maynard: Under the new South Western Franchise operated since August 2017, passengers from Portsmouth to London should see journey times reduce by around 5 minutes from December 2018. South Western Railway (SWR) are currently consulting on their proposed timetable for December 2018 until 22nd December. With regard to reliability, the Secretary of State recently called a joint-performance summit bringing together SWR, Network Rail with senior officials in the Department and the Office of Road and Rail to ensure that there are plans in place to bring operational performance to levels that passengers rightly expect and deserve. I should also explain further the new Franchise Agreement contains provision that better incentivise operators to improve performance. This includes financial penalties if the contracted levels are not achieved.

Railways: Overcrowding

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of applying a maximum occupancy limits to trains.

Paul Maynard: One of the most popular features of the UK railways is that it’s a walk-on, or turn up and go service. This flexibility is much prized by passengers. The Department believes that setting occupancy limits would substantially disadvantage passengers as such a system would need to either restrict travel to those with prior reservations, or to refuse to allow passengers with valid tickets to travel on a service when its occupancy limit had been reached. However, the Department for Transport does require train operators to carry out passenger counts as part of their franchise contracts to demonstrate that adequate capacity is being provided.

Railways: Overcrowding

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the safety implications of non-implementation of maximum occupancy limits on trains.

Paul Maynard: The Office of Rail and Road (ORR), as the health and safety authority for Britain’s railways, is responsible for ensuring that railway companies protect passengers from health and safety risks caused by trains and infrastructure. The Department for Transport requires train operators to carry out passenger counts as part of their franchise contracts to demonstrate that adequate capacity is being provided. The Department also requires franchisees to consider how the train fleet is matched with the timetable to minimise crowding.

Railway Stations: Greater London

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with First Group on a completion date for works at Acton Mainline and West Ealing Stations.

Paul Maynard: The Department has not any direct discussions with FirstGroup regarding the completion date for works at Acton Mainline and West Ealing stations. Network Rail are responsible for delivering the planned improvement works to these stations.

Railway Stations: Greater London

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to remedy delays at Acton Mainline and West Ealing stations.

Paul Maynard: Network Rail are delivering improvements to both Acton Mainline and West Ealing stations as part of the Crossrail project. Network Rail has confirmed that the planned improvements to Acton Mainline and West Ealing station buildings will be completed by the time the Elizabeth line becomes fully operational from December 2019. The critical major railway upgrades at these stations including platform extensions and modifications is almost complete. The Department is in regular contact with Network Rail regarding the progress of these works.

Railways: South West

Mr Gary Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress has been made on considering the Speed to the West request of the Peninsula Rail Task Force.

Paul Maynard: The request from the Peninsula Rail Task Force for additional funding of £600,000 for the “Speed to the West” project represents the first stage in developing a new enhancement scheme to supplement a planned track renewal within the current funding Control Period to 2019 (CP5). The new enhancement scheme is estimated to cost an additional £20-30m to deliver and is currently unfunded. We have set aside significant funding for the development of new railway schemes in next Control Period 6 (2019 to 2024) and such schemes will need to be considered through the new process for enhancements as part of the Rail Upgrade Plan. We will announce more details about this in due course.

Railways: North Yorkshire

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the timetable is for Northern Rail to begin operating services between York and Scarborough.

Paul Maynard: Northern Rail will begin to operate services between York and Scarborough on the Northern franchise from December 2019.

Shipping: Qualifications

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his policy is on the mutual recognition of seafarer qualifications with EU member states after 29 March 2019.

Mr John Hayes: Seafarer qualifications are issued and recognised in accordance with the international convention on the Standards of Training, Certification and Watch-keeping (STCW) 1978, as amended. This is an international Convention that is applicable to all seafarers working at sea. The UK will continue to recognise seafarer qualifications in accordance with procedures set out in the Convention.

Shipping: Training

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many times officials from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency have visited another country to advise on seafarer training standards since May 2010; and what the dates and destinations were of each such visit.

Mr John Hayes: Since May 2010, no Maritime and Coastguard Agency official has visited other countries specifically to advise them on seafarer training standards.

Shipping

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress is being made on his Department's review of the Maritime Growth Study.

Mr John Hayes: The gathering of material for the review has been completed and a report is currently being prepared. Publication is expected early in 2018.

Shipping: Crew

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many UK seafarer (a) Ratings and (b) Officers held jobs on vessels which have joined the UK Ship Register since 1 January 2015.

Mr John Hayes: The information requested is not held.

Shipping: Ownership

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many vessels on the UK Ship Register are (a) beneficially owned and (b) managed outside the UK.

Mr John Hayes: As of 8 December 2017, there are (a) 483 vessels on the UK Ship Register that are beneficially owned outside of the UK; and (b) 181 vessels on the UK Ship Register which are managed outside of the UK.

Merchant Shipping: Registration

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to encourage UK ship owners to register merchant vessels on the UK Ship Register.

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to encourage international ship owners to register their merchant vessels on the UK Ship Register.

Mr John Hayes: The UK Ship Register (UKSR) is promoting the UK Flag advantages to UK and eligible international owners of some of the largest fleets of quality ships in various sectors, including tankers, bulk carriers, container and passenger ships. In addition, the UKSR has enhanced its customer service, can now provide Maritime and Coastguard Agency Marine Surveyors 24/7, and has placed a Marine Surveyor in Singapore.Other steps will include digitisation of services (Registration and Seafarer Documents) which will be rolled out in 2018/19. These changes will encourage UK and international ship owners to register their vessels with the UKSR.

Shipping: Equal Pay

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent estimate he has made of the (a) minimum and (b) maximum cost to industry of legislation prohibiting nationality-based pay discrimination in the UK shipping industry.

Mr John Hayes: No recent estimate has been made.

Midland Main Railway Line: Electrification

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 7 November 2017 to Question 110602, on Midland Main Railway Line: Electrification, how the estimate of the environmental benefits included in Table 8 – 5 were calculated.

Paul Maynard: The estimates of the environmental benefits included in Table 8-5 were calculated in accordance with the Department for Transport’s (DfT’s) processes for appraising transport investments. The economic appraisal, including the environmental impacts reported in Table 8-5, was carried out using the DfT’s Transport Analysis Guidance, where environmental benefits (including noise, local air quality, and greenhouse gasses) are monetised and assessed over a 60 year appraisal period.

Midland Main Railway Line: Electrification

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 7 November 2017 to Question 110602, what assessment he has made of the environmental effect of using bi-mode trains on the Midland Mainline on the basis that the line beyond Kettering will not be electrified.

Paul Maynard: We are committed to improving journeys for passengers on the Midland Main Line, which is why we are delivering biggest upgrade of the route since it was completed in 1870. The upgrade will enable increased passenger capacity and reduced journey times, and will see modern trains introduced across the route, including a fleet of brand new bi-mode intercity trains from 2022. The Government has made this decision to deliver benefits for intercity passengers sooner than would otherwise be possible. In line with the Department for Transport’s (DfT’s) processes for appraising transport investments, an economic appraisal including the environmental impacts has been carried out, using the DfT’s Transport Analysis Guidance and incorporating DEFRA guidance on transport related environmental impacts. The results of the appraisal show that compared to the do-minimum scenario, which was continued diesel operation with the existing fleet for 10 years and then the introduction of bi-modes in 2030/31, introducing bi-modes straightaway to replace diesels delivers £11m of greenhouse gas emission savings over the 60-year appraisal period, whilst fully electric trains would have delivered £271m of greenhouse gas savings over the same period.

Level Crossings: Pencoed

Chris Elmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what representations he has had from Network Rail on the closure of Pencoed level crossing.

Paul Maynard: My Department has received no representations from Network Rail in relation to the closure of Pencoed level crossing.

Railways: Wales

Chris Elmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Wales on improvements to rail safety in Wales.

Paul Maynard: Ministers and officials have regular discussions with their counterparts in Wales on a variety of railway matters and have discussed the preparation of the High Level Output Specification (HLOS) and Statement of Funds Available (SoFA) for CP6. We look to Network Rail to ensure they make the best use of these funds to maintain and improve safety across the whole of the rail network throughout Great Britain.

Great Western Railway Line: Electrification

Chris Elmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effect of the Government's cancellation of Great Western mainline rail electrification on his Department's proposals for improvements to rail safety standards in Wales.

Paul Maynard: The rail modernisation programme on the Great Western mainline is continuing. Whilst Network Rail and train operators are responsible for maintaining safe railway operations, I am not aware of any evidence that the scope or otherwise of this rail upgrade programme would have any direct impacts on rail safety standards in Wales.

Department for Transport: Males

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Year of Engineering his Department is sponsoring will have a policy on promoting or avoiding all male panels.

Mr John Hayes: The aim of the Year of Engineering 2018 is to widen the pool of young people that consider engineering as a career, particularly girls, black, Asian, and ethnic minority groups and those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Throughout the year, we will challenge stereotypes by making engineering relevant to ‘people like me’. We have already made great progress by securing the support of a diverse range of engineering role models, ambassadors and influencers to work with throughout the year. It is incredibly important that this diversity is reflected in the panellists and speakers at events. We will endeavour to ensure that people from a wide range of backgrounds, including women engineers and spokespeople are at the forefront of the debate wherever possible.

Railways: Competition

Martin Vickers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress his Department has made on examining and delivering the Option 1 recommendations of the Competition and Markets Authority 2016 report, Competition in Passenger Rail Services in Great Britain; and if he will make a statement.

Martin Vickers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to his Department's policy paper, A strategic vision for rail, published on 29 November 2017, what steps his Department plans to take to encourage more open access rail competition with franchises.

Martin Vickers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when his Department plans to publish its response to the passenger rail public service obligation levy consultation, which closed on 21 April 2017.

Martin Vickers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to attract new open access applications where there is capacity to deliver more rail services, passenger choice and competition.

Paul Maynard: As the Secretary of State for Transport set in his November 2017 document A Strategic Vision for Rail, through the use of the Department’s franchising powers public procurement through competition will continue to be our central policy for train service operations, reflecting the significant benefits it has brought for passengers. However, whilst it is for individual operators to consider potential applications, we have made clear that we welcome new open access applications where these do not significantly impact on affordability or the value for money from public investment in the rail network, and where they complement franchised services. Ultimately these applications are for the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) to determine and government has no contractual relationship with open access operators. As the Competition and Markets Authority made clear, a pre-condition for greater open access under their preferred Option 1 is that open access makes an appropriate contribution towards the costs of the railway. We are taking forward consideration of this option, both through working with the ORR on charging reform and the public service obligation (PSO) levy. We are therefore pleased that the ORR is taking forward reforms to the track access charging framework as part of its Periodic Review 2018 process. We are considering the responses to the public service obligation levy consultation, and will continue discussions with the ORR on the potential links between charging reform and the PSO proposals. We intend to our response early next year.

York-Beverley Railway Line

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the (a) potential merits and (b) cost of reopening of the York-Beverley railway line.

Paul Maynard: The Government is working with local authorities and other partners to identify the best new rail projects that can unlock new housing and economic growth, ease overcrowding, meet future demand and offer good value for money. It is also helping them to identify new ways of designing, financing and funding additional rail capacity. We will consider proposals on a case by case basis, based on the economic benefits and business case put forward by local partners.

Railway Stations: Haxby

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the (a) potential merits and (b) cost of reopening Haxby Railway Station.

Paul Maynard: The Government is working with local authorities and other partners to identify the best new rail projects that can unlock new housing and economic growth, ease overcrowding, meet future demand and offer good value for money. It is also helping them to identify new ways of designing, financing and funding additional rail capacity. We will consider proposals on a case by case basis, based on the economic benefits and business case put forward by local partners.

Network Rail: York

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effect of Network Rail’s transformation into a series of regional route businesses on the number of Network Rail jobs in York.

Paul Maynard: As an arm’s length body from government, Network Rail is responsible for assessing the effect of its transformation into a series of regional route business on the number of Network Rail jobs in each region.

Railways

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Oral Statement of 29 November 2017, Official Report, Column 339 on Rail Update, if he will provide details of the process to establish business cases to develop proposals to open new railway lines between (a) Marks Tey and Cambridge, (b) Witham and Maldon and (c) Witham and Stansted.

Paul Maynard: We will consider future investment options under a new process for rail enhancements, which we will set out early in the New Year. The new process will focus our rail investments on delivering outcomes for rail users, and will require sufficiently strong business cases to be provided at each stage of development before investment. As the railway lines suggested would serve local markets and the local economy, we would expect these business cases to be promoted, funded and developed locally. Guidance on developing business cases is published by HM Treasury in “The Green Book; Appraisal and Evaluation in Central Government.”

East Coast Rail Franchise

Andy McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of whether the planned timescale for delivering the new East Coast partnership by 2020 is on target to being achieved; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Maynard: We are on target to meet the 2020 delivery date for the East Coast Partnership and are working with industry to finalise the design of the Partnership. We will announce more information in the coming months.

Southeastern

Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport,which stations on the Bexleyheath Line to Victoria do not have the capacity to accommodate trains with (a) 12,  (b) ten, (c) eight carriages; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Maynard: All stations on the Bexleyheath line from Barnehurst to Blackheath & Lewisham can accommodate 12 car services. Nunhead, Peckham Rye and Denmark Hill (between Lewisham and Victoria) can accommodate a maximum of 8 car services. Victoria station can accommodate 12 car services.

Southeastern

Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to page 34, paragraph 17 of paper South East Rail Franchise Stakeholder Briefing Document: Shaping the Future, what proportion of South East trains were delayed as a result of congestion at crossover points, between (a) Lewisham and Victoria and  (b) Lewisham and London Bridge in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Maynard: The Department does not hold the information requested broken down into the level of detail required and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Motor Vehicles: Disability

Mr Paul Sweeney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if his Department will grant UK vehicle manufacturers a 12-month end-of-series derogation provision for wheelchair-accessible vehicles from new European Commission regulations requiring the introduction of the WLTP drive-cycle to new vehicles after 1 September 2018.

Jesse Norman: The Department notified the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders on 30th October that a derogation would be granted to manufacturers for the transition to the new WLTP emission test procedure. In addition, the Department’s officials have met with representatives of the Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle Converters’ Association (WAVCA) to discuss derogations and so ensure the supply of these important vehicles continues.

South Eastern Rail Franchise

Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to page 36 of the paper South East Rail Franchise Stakeholder Briefing Document, how many additional carriages will be required to provide 10,000 extra places for passengers in the morning high peak hour on the Bexleyheath Line from (a) Woolwich Common and (b) Eltham; and if he will make a statement?

Paul Maynard: The South Eastern Invitation to Tender (ITT) requires, by December 2022, a minimum of 230 carriages to arrive into London Termini (either Charing Cross or Cannon Street) between 0700-1000 on the Bexleyheath line (which includes Eltham station). This is an increase of 18 carriages compared to today. The ITT also includes a requirement for higher passenger density trains with 2+2 seating and greater amounts of standing space. These changes significantly increase the capacity for passengers over today’s fleet. Woolwich Common is not a station and is in proximity to the North Kent Line.

Southeastern

Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of operating selective door opening on the Bexleyheath service to Victoria at stations without the capacity for 10 or 12 carriage trains; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Maynard: The Department does not specify where selected door opening (SDO) is deployed as this is a decision for bidders. However, SDO is typically deployed to overcome individual instances of shorter platforms along a line of route. Three stations along the route to Victoria from Lewisham are a maximum of 8 car (Nunhead, Peckham Rye and Denmark Hill), and in such instances it might be deemed that the use of SDO along the line of route with 10 or 12-car operations may not be appropriate.

Department for Communities and Local Government

Refuges: Domestic Violence

Jess Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, in which locations the additional 2,200 bed spaces funded by his Department’s Domestic Abuse Fund have been created.

Jess Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will publish the number the organisations that have received funding from the Department’s Abuse Fund; where those organisations are located; and the number of new refuge bed spaces created by those organisations, in each of the last 2 years.

Mr Marcus Jones: My Department has so far provided funding to 76 projects covering 248 local authorities through the 2016-2018 £20 million Domestic Abuse Fund, and recently confirmed that a further four projects will shortly receive funding. The attached table sets out all 80 lead local authorities which have received funding, or are due to receive funding.Lead local authorities are responsible for allocating the funding for the projects set out in their bids and not all bids were based purely on provision of beds, this is reflected in the attached table.Based on the ranges given in the local authorities’ bid documents, we estimate that the funding will deliver more than 2,200 additional bedspaces in refuges and other safe accommodation. We are committed to evaluating the outcomes from our £20 million fund.The bed spaces are additional to the 3649 bedspaces counted in the Women’s Aid ‘Routes to Support’ data in 2016. There were 3479 refuge bedspaces in 2010.



UIN 116569 refuge bed spaces table
(Word Document, 31.43 KB)

Grenfell Tower: Fires

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many households from (a) Barandon Walk, (b) Hurstway Walk, (c) Testerton Walk, (d) Treadgold House, (e) Bramley House and (f) other surrounding blocks in the Lancaster West Estate were evacuated from their homes following the Grenfell Tower fire of 14 June 2017; and how many of those households remain in emergency accommodation.

Alok Sharma: The Grenfell Tower fire had impacts for the whole of the Lancaster West Estate. During the fire, there were safety concerns for residents in the 364 occupied properties in Barandon, Hurstway & Testerton Walks (‘The Walkways’) which lead up to Grenfell Tower. These properties were evacuated on the night of the fire on the advice of the London Fire Service. The evacuation extended as a result of a temporary loss of water, heating and hot water and most Walkways residents were able to return to their homes on 16 June 2017.As of 4 December 2017, data provided by the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea showed 109 households from the Walkways and an additional 14 households from the wider Lancaster West Estate are in emergency accommodation.We appreciate that many households from the Lancaster West Estate are finding it difficult to return to their homes. The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea is offering support to residents to return to their homes where possible. We are supporting their plans to make the Lancaster West Estate a model for social housing by allocating additional funds as detailed in the Autumn Budget 2017.

Grenfell Tower: Fires

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will set out the details of any meetings or other contact that has taken place between his Department and representatives from the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea about allowing council tenants who formerly resided in Grenfell Tower to retain the right to buy.

Alok Sharma: The Government has been clear that residents who held a council tenancy in Grenfell Tower or Grenfell Walk will be offered a new home that will be on at least the same terms as the one they lost.Survivors who held a council tenancy at Grenfell Tower or Grenfell Walk will have the Right to Buy their new permanent council property; where they move into a permanent housing association property, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC) will ask landlords to grant them the Right to Buy.Officials from my Department have regular meetings with representatives from RBKC about rehousing, including allowing council tenants who formerly resided in Grenfell Tower to retain the Right to Buy.

Public Houses

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to continue the Community Pub Business Support Programme beyond March 2018.

Jake Berry: The Government continues to support the community ownership of pubs where they deliver a clear benefit to their local communities. The £3.62 million More Than A Pub Programme is jointly funded by my Department and Power to Change, the independent trust supporting businesses in England.This two year programme was launched in Spring 2016, with the aim to create a lasting legacy for both the communities supported, and the many more communities they inspire in years to come. To this end, the Government has created a community pubs loan fund, which will continue to be available to community pubs until 2025.In addition to the support announced in the Autumn Budget 2017 with duties on beer, cider, wine and spirits frozen in 2018, and the extension to March 2019 of a £1,000 discount to pubs with a rateable value below £100,000, the Government continues to support the work of not-for-profit organisation such as the Plunkett Foundation and Pub is The Hub, to help communities realise their goals of a sustainable local pub.

National Holocaust Memorial Centre and Learning Service

Sir Edward Leigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will make it his policy to place a limit of £50 million on funding available from the public purse for the Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre.

Mr Marcus Jones: With cross-party support, the Government has committed £50 million as its contribution to kick-start a society-wide fundraising effort to deliver the National Memorial and Learning Centre and its wider educational objectives. The Government’s commitment has not changed.

National Holocaust Memorial Centre and Learning Service

Sir Edward Leigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to his Answer  of 22 November 2017 to Question 111707, what the reasons were for the UK Holocaust Memorial Foundation to envisage that the Memorial and Learning Centre would primarily attract people who already visit the area; and what comparative assessment his Department has made of visitors to holocaust memorials in other countries.

Mr Marcus Jones: In seeking a prominent location, it was a key objective of the Holocaust Commission for the Memorial and Learning Centre to benefit from existing high footfall in the surrounding area. This is an important part of its mission to preserve the memory of the Holocaust and to raise awareness and understanding of its lessons for the future. The Government’s expectations on visitors to the Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre have been informed by a comparative assessment of visitor numbers to Holocaust memorials around the world.

National Holocaust Memorial Centre and Learning Service

Sir Edward Leigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, for what reasons no public announcement was made of his decision to co-locate the Holocaust Learning Centre with the Memorial in Victoria Tower Gardens.

Mr Marcus Jones: In September 2016, the UK Government announced that designers and architects were being invited to enter an international design competition for a striking new national Memorial commemorating the Holocaust to be constructed in Victoria Tower Gardens.The announcement made clear that competition entrants were also being invited to incorporate designs for a possible accompanying below-ground learning centre, which would be taken forward subject to technical, financial, planning or other constraints.

Non-domestic Rates

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the oral contribution of 4 December 2017 from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which local authorities applied for business rate retention.

Mr Marcus Jones: There were 26 valid applications that were received for the 100 per cent Business Rates Retention Pilots 2018-19. From the applications, 25 were from existing or proposed pools and 1 from a single authority. Please see the attached list. 



Business Rates Retention Pilots 2018-19
(Word Document, 29.31 KB)

Department for Communities and Local Government: ICT

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether electronic communications from hon. Members to Ministers of his Department are passed through any third parties before they reach their recipient.

Mr Marcus Jones: Electronic communications are passed across the internet via internet service providers and the routing of an email between an Hon Member and a Government department is dependent on which system and service an email is sent.Ministers’ Private Offices and correspondence teams routinely handle and respond to emails on behalf of their Ministers.

Local Government: Reorganisation

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what procedures are in place for those current two-tier local authority areas which wish to reorganise themselves.

Mr Marcus Jones: With the enactment of the Cities and Local Government Devolution Act 2016, the procedures for two tier local authorities wishing to reorganise themselves are for one or more of the councils concerned to submit a proposal for a reorganised structure to the Secretary of State who must consider it.As I told the House on 28 February 2017 (PQ 65271) the criteria for assessing such proposals is whether the proposal, if implemented, is likely to improve the area's local government, commands a good deal of local support in the area, and whether the area itself is a credible geography for the proposed new structure. Having considered such a proposal, the Secretary of State will announce whether or not he is minded, subject to Parliamentary approval, to implement it.After a period during which those interested may make representations to the Secretary of State, he will then take his final decision and invite Parliament to approve the secondary legislation necessary to implement the proposal where this is his decision.

Supported Housing

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what  assessment his Department has made of the effect on single homeless people in short-term accommodation of his Department's proposals for the reform of supported housing.

Mr Marcus Jones: From April 2018 we are implementing the Homelessness Reduction Act, the biggest change to homelessness legislation in decades which will require local authorities to provide early help and support to people, including single people to prevent them from becoming homeless in the first place.Short-term supported accommodation needed in crisis or transition, such as homeless hostels or refuges, will now be funded and commissioned directly by the local authority, through a ring-fenced grant from central government.The model will help more people to sustain or get in to work. The short-term accommodation grant will remove rental costs for the tenants at a particularly vulnerable point in their lives, allowing them to seek work safe in the knowledge that their housing costs will be met. It will also help people who can, to move-on with greater choice about where they go without carrying a legacy of rent arrears and debt.It will also give local areas a bigger role in commissioning supported accommodation for vulnerable people in their area. Councils have a strong interest in sustainable short-term accommodation which meets local need and will need to demonstrate how they will meet that through strategic plans and needs assessments.The arrangements described apply to England only, equivalent funding will be devolved to the Scottish Government, and the specific arrangements will be for the Scottish Government to decide.

Terrorism: Greater Manchester

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much of the £1.4 million in funding requested by Manchester City Council following the Manchester Arena terror attack has been allocated to that Council.

Jake Berry: The Prime Minister’s taskforce continues to work across Government and with officials in Manchester City Council to review requests for funding and expedite where appropriate.

Housing: West Midlands

Emma Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to increase house building in the West Midlands Combined Authority area.

Alok Sharma: The Department for Communities and Local Government has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Housing: Wolverhampton

Emma Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many homes were (a) started and (b) completed in Wolverhampton in each year since 2010.

Alok Sharma: Estimates of house building, new build dwellings starts and completions for England and in each local authority district, to June quarter 2017, are shown in Live Table 253a at the following link.https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-house-buildingData for the September quarter 2017 is scheduled for publication on the 19 December 2017.These only cover new build dwellings and should be regarded as a leading indicator of overall housing supply. The Department also publishes an annual release entitled ‘Housing supply: net additional dwellings, England’, which is the primary and most comprehensive measure of housing supply.

Mersey Tunnels: Tolls

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the letter to the Minister for the Northern Powerhouse and Local Growth from the Metro Mayor Liverpool, dated 4 December 2017, on tolls on the Mersey Tunnel.

Jake Berry: The letter from the Metro Mayor of Liverpool City Region made no reference to the tolling of the Mersey Tunnels which is the responsibility of the Liverpool Metro Mayor.The Hon Member for Denton and Reddish may be mistaking the Mersey Tunnels for the Mersey Gateway Bridge, about 18 miles miles away and running over (rather than under) the Mersey. I’m sure his colleague, the Mayor, would be happy to show the differences, which he will notice almost immediately.

Garden Communities

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which sites he has identified to become locally-led garden cities.

Alok Sharma: We are currently supporting the development of twenty-four locally-led garden cities, towns and villages with the potential for 220,000 new homes across England.There are 10 locally-led garden cities, towns and communities at Ebbsfleet, Bicester, Didcot, Basingstoke, Otterpool Park in Kent, Aylesbury, Taunton, Harlow-Gilston, North Essex and North Northamptonshire.We also announced our support for 14 Garden Villages in January 2017:Long Marston in Stratford-on-AvonOxfordshire Cotswold in West Oxfordshire;Tresham in East Northants;Culm in Mid Devon;Welborne near Fareham in HampshireWest Carclaze in Cornwall;Dunton Hills near Brentwood, Essex;Spitalgate Heath in South Kesteven District, LincolnshireHalsnead in Knowsley, Merseyside;We intend to publish in the Spring, a prospectus inviting expressions of interest in ambitious, locally supported, proposals for high quality new garden communities at scale.

Refuges: Domestic Violence

Ms Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to create a national system for funding domestic violence refuges.

Mr Marcus Jones: We recognise that refuge provision is critical to the safety of victims of domestic abuse and their families.In our Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy, Government committed to review the locally led approach to refuge provision two years after the launch of our £20 million fund for safe accommodation and local service reform. This review will cover funding for refuges, including the critical care and support costs, and will take place by November 2018. We are continuing to explore all options for future delivery of refuge services, including a national model for refuges. We are committed to working closely with our sector partners, drawing on their expertise and knowledge.My Department has launched a tender for an audit of local authority commissioning of domestic abuse services, including refuge, which will inform our review.

Green Belt

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 6 December to Question 117028, what assessment he has made of whether alterations made by local authorities to the shape of their green belts have been consistent with the criteria set out in his answer.

Alok Sharma: Under the National Planning Policy Framework, local authorities can alter the shape of their Green Belt only in exceptional circumstances. They do this through their Local Plan. This involves rigorous consultation in public and consideration by a planning inspector at examination, who then makes a formal determination on whether the submitted Plan is sound. It is for each Plan to be found sound if it is properly prepared, justified, effective and consistent with national policy in the Framework.In the Housing White Paper, Fixing our broken housing market, we recognised the need for more clarity on the exceptional circumstances in which a Green Belt boundary change can be proposed and consulted on a criteria. We are currently considering the responses and will implement any policy changes in a revision of the National Planning Policy Framework as soon as practicable in 2018.

Neighbourhood Development Plans

James Cartlidge: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to simplify the process of amending Neighbourhood Plans.

Alok Sharma: The Neighbourhood Planning Act 2017 (section 4) offers new flexibilities for the process of modifying neighbourhood plans. Regulations for this section of the Act will be laid before Parliament on 13 December 2017 and are due to come into force in the New Year, subject to Parliamentary approval.

Neighbourhood Development Plans

James Cartlidge: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government,  with reference to the Written Statement of 12 December 2016, HCWS346, what plans he has to issue further guidance to planning authorities and Parish Councils on consideration of an absent five year land supply in Neighbourhood Plans.

Alok Sharma: Neighbourhood planning gives communities a powerful set of tools to shape their area. The Written Ministerial Statement of 12 December 2016 (HCWS346) introduced additional protection to neighbourhood plans where all of the following criteria apply:•the written ministerial statement is less than 2 years old, or the neighbourhood plan been part of the development plan for 2 years or less;•the neighbourhood plan allocates sites for housing; and•the local planning authority can demonstrate a 3-year supply of deliverable housing sites against its 5 year housing requirement.The Housing White Paper committed to take forward this important protection in the revised National Planning Policy Framework. Guidance for decision makers on interpreting the Written Ministerial Statement, in light of recent Court judgements, was published on 10 August 2017 https://www.gov.uk/guidance/neighbourhood-planning--2 (Paragraph: 083) and we will provide further clarification where necessary. Revised guidance will also set out more clearly how the five-year land supply should be calculated.

Housing: Construction

James Cartlidge: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many English planning authorities do not have an adequate five year land supply.

Alok Sharma: The Department for Communities and Local Government has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Aviation

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 7 December 2017 to Question 117145, on Aviation, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of his Department's guidance to local planning authorities on considering the interconnectivity between airfields of different sizes and having regard to the Aviation Policy Framework.

Alok Sharma: The Department for Communities and Local Government has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Energy: Meters

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many homes will have been offered a smart meter in the West Midlands by the end of 2017.

Richard Harrington: We do not hold this information. Energy suppliers have their own individual systems and criteria for recording offers for installations of a smart meter. The rollout of smart meters is on track to deliver significant benefits, including putting an end to estimated bills, and is set to save consumers £300m in 2020 alone. Suppliers are mandated by government to offer every household and small business a smart meter by 2020, and remain committed to this target.

Business

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to (a) improve data collection on business ownership and (b) encourage more women to set up small businesses.

Margot James: We are working to ensure we have the right business support for everyone, including women, to set up and grow a business. We carry out and publish the Longitudinal Small Business Survey which provides estimates of ownership of businesses by women. The 2016 survey can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/small-business-survey-reports. Start-Up Loans provide funding and intensive support to new entrepreneurs. As at the end of October 2017, there were over 20,130 loans issued to women totalling over £132.5m. To date 39% of start-up loans have been issued to women. Government has also supported and invested in the creation of a network of 38 Growth Hubs (one in each Local Enterprise Partnership area), providing businesses across England with tailored advice and support.  The Business Support Helpline also provides information and guidance to people across England - 49% of users in the last year (2016-17) were women. As part of the Industrial Strategy, we will identify ways to tackle barriers faced by female-led businesses in accessing venture capital through new behavioural research commissioned by the British Business Bank.

Wind Power

Martin Docherty-Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many applications for full onshore wind station accreditation were unsuccessful between July 2016 and October 2016.

Richard Harrington: I refer the Hon Member to the reply I gave to UIN 106075.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: ICT

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether electronic communications from hon. Members to Ministers of his Department are passed through any third parties before they reach their recipient.

Margot James: Electronic communications are passed across the internet via internet service providers and the routing of an email between an hon. Member and a Government department is dependent on which system and service an email is sent. Ministers’ Private Offices and correspondence teams routinely handle and respond to emails on behalf of their Ministers.

Small Businesses: Witham

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many small and medium-sized businesses in Witham constituency received support under each business support scheme operated by his Department since 2010.

Margot James: Small and medium-sized businesses in Witham can access support through GOV.UK and the Business Support Helpline. Government has also supported and invested in the creation of a network of 38 Growth Hubs (one in each Local Enterprise Partnership area), providing businesses across England with tailored advice and support. We, however, do not hold data at constituency level showing how many small and medium-sized businesses utilised this support. The South East Business Hub acts as the first port of call for businesses in the Witham constituency. Since its launch in 2014, the South East Business Hub has engaged and supported 7853 businesses and has helped 527 individuals looking to start up a new business in the East Sussex, Essex, Kent, Medway, Southend and Thurrock areas. As at end of June 2017, British Business Bank programmes have facilitated almost £18m to 119 businesses in the constituency of Witham*. This includes 36 Start-up Loans at a value of over £227,000. Through our Industrial Strategy, we will continue to back small and medium-sized business to grow and create jobs by providing an environment in which they can thrive. * This does not include the ENABLE Funding programme as we are unable to identify data at a constituency level.

Research: Investment

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to page 67 of the Industrial Strategy, when he plans to publish a roadmap for meeting his target of increasing investment in R&D to 2.4 per cent of GDP by 2027.

Joseph Johnson: We will publish a roadmap in 2018 that sets out how Government and industry will work together to reach the 2.4% target.

Science: Finance

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to page 85 of the Industrial Strategy, when he expects the Strength in Places Fund to be in operation.

Claire Perry: The Government announced the new Strength in Places Fund in the Industrial Strategy White Paper. This new competitive funding stream will be delivered by UK Research and Innovation and will support areas to build on their science and innovation strengths and develop stronger local collaborative networks.Exact details will be announced in due course, subject to the approval of a full business case; however the Government expects to launch a call for expressions of interest from local consortia in financial year 2018/19.

Banks and Energy: Competition

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to increase competition in the (a) energy and (b) banking consumer markets; and if he will make a statement.

Margot James: The Government wants markets to thrive and continues to promote competition as the best driver of value and service for customers. a) The Government and Ofgem are working to implement the Competition and Markets Authority’s recommendations in the retail energy market through faster and more reliable switching, measures to increase consumer engagement reforming the regulatory framework which aim to increase competition in the energy market. b) The Government has established competition objectives embedded in the Financial Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA). The regulators set up the New Bank Start-up Unit to help prospective new banks enter the market and through the early days of authorisation. Since 2013, the PRA has authorised 15 new UK banks, reducing the market share of the four biggest banks and increasing the stability of the sector.

Incinerators

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much electricity was consumed by incinerators in (a) 2015 and (b) 2016; and how much (i) CO2 and (ii) CO2e was emitted as a result of that consumption in each of those years.

Richard Harrington: The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) does not hold data on electricity consumption at this level of disaggregation; however, for calculating the UK energy balance we estimate that on average sites generating electricity (including combined heat and power schemes) from waste use approximately 10 per cent of electricity generated for their own use. Estimated electricity consumed for own use by sites generating electricity from waste(1)(2), 2015-16Consumption (GWh) 20152016Electricity consumed for own use520550  (1) Based on data from DUKES table 6.4, available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/renewable-sources-of-energy-chapter-6-digest-of-united-kingdom-energy-statistics-dukes(2) Biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste. Non-biodegradable waste includes the non-biodegradable part of municipal solid waste plus waste tyres, hospital waste and general industrial waste. Using emission conversion factors published by BEIS(3), estimated emissions for own use by sites generating electricity from waste were: 20152016CO2 emissions from electricity consumed for own use (million tonnes of carbon dioxide)0.1810.192CO2e emissions from electricity consumed for own use (million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent)0.1830.193 (3) Emission conversion factors are available at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/government-conversion-factors-for-company-reporting

Foreign Companies: Property

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the Land Registry's publication of offshore companies owning UK property, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on the public purse of making the beneficial owners of those companies public.

Margot James: We stand by our commitment at the 2016 International Anti-Corruption Summit to create a register showing the beneficial owners of overseas companies which own or buy property in the UK or participate in central government contracts. We are carrying out a full impact assessment and will be publishing this in due course.

Solar Power: North West

Jo Platt: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many people have been made redundant in the solar industry sector in the North West since 2015.

Richard Harrington: The Office of National Statistics (ONS) produces datasets covering the low carbon and renewable energy economy, including estimates of the number of people employed on a full-time equivalent (FTE) basis in the UK solar photovoltaic sector, which can be viewed online at:https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/environmentalaccounts/datasets/lowcarbonandrenewableenergyeconomyfirstestimatesdatasetThe ONS estimates that in 2014 the UK solar photovoltaic sector supported 10,000 FTEs and 16,000 FTEs in 2015, with further jobs supported in the supply chain. The ONS hasn’t yet provided estimates for 2016 or 2017, and does not produce these estimates broken down at a regional level.

ICT

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much funding the Government plans to allocate from the public purse for the Next Generation of Services project; and whether that funding will be drawn from monies allocated for the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund.

Claire Perry: We will invest £725m in Wave 2 of the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund over the next four years. We announced six new Challenges in wave 2 and two Pioneer Challenges to build industry engagement and readiness for future funding. Up to £20m Pioneer funding has been allocated from the ISCF programme for a Challenge to develop the Next Generation of Services through the application of AI and data driven innovation.

Accountancy

Andrew Percy: To ask The Secretary of State for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to ensure the accurate accounting of (a) AI Programs, (b) Blockchain and (c) other Fin Tech, a report of a company's business model.

Margot James: For the purposes of company reporting these items (i.e. AI Programs, Blockchain and other Fin Tech) would be treated as intangible assets.The Companies Act 2006 requirements for Large and Medium-sized Companies and Groups, includes a balance sheet heading “Intangible Assets” to be included on the face of the balance sheet as well as a specific sub-heading for, “concessions, patents, licences, trademarks, and similar rights and assets”. We would expect AI programs, Blockchain and Fin Tech to be accounted for under this heading.For additional clarity UK generally accepted accounting practices (GAAP) also require detailed disclosures on intangible assets, where they are material to the company’s financial position, to be included in the notes attached to the financial statements.

Energy: Prices

Dr Alan Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy what are the eligibility criteria for technologies entering competitive contracts for difference auctions.

Richard Harrington: The eligibility criteria for technologies are published in advance of each Contracts for Difference (CfD) auction. The criteria include, but are not limited to, projects having obtained the relevant planning consents and connection agreements. The next CfD auction for less established technologies is currently planned for spring 2019. The eligibility criteria for the next auction will be published in due course.

Companies

Mr Gavin Shuker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his department maintains a list of all UK companies which have a global turnover of more than (a) £16 million (b) £26 million (c) £36 million and (d) £46 million.

Margot James: The department does not maintain such a list of UK companies.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Brexit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what quantitative assessments his Department has made of the effect of the UK leaving the EU on the sectors for which his Department is responsible.

Margot James: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Fuel Poverty

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many households in (a) Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough constituency, (b) Sheffield (c) South Yorkshire and (d) the UK spent more than 10 per cent of their income on fuel bills in each of the last five years.

Claire Perry: Data on households that spent more than 10 per cent of their income on fuel bills is only available for England and at the regional level and is not available for the UK in total or broken down further to Parliamentary Constituency, Local Authority or County level.

Insolvency

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the corporate insolvency framework.

Margot James: In May 2016 the Government published its Review of the Corporate Insolvency Framework consultation. The consultation contained a package of proposals to improve the rescue opportunities for financially-distressed companies. Following the publication of the summary of responses to the consultation in September 2016, the Government has continued to engage with a very wide range of interested parties to further discuss and explore issues raised in responses to the consultation. This further engagement will ensure that any reforms, if necessary, will be fit for purpose and best achieve the Government’s aims of rescuing distressed but viable businesses, therefore preserving both value and jobs.

Life Sciences: Finance

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions the Government has had with (a) local authorities, (b) local enterprise partnerships, (c) combined authorities and (d) devolved institutions about allocating funding for projects under the life sciences sector deal.

Joseph Johnson: The government and the life sciences sector have worked extensively since August to agree this sector deal, working together strategically to enhance the attractiveness of the UK. This collaboration includes more than 25 organisations – business large and small, charities and academia. The UK has world class life sciences clusters across the country and the Industrial Strategy’s aim is to distribute growth and opportunity, investing in projects around the UK. The next phase of the Deal will be an opportunity to further identify and develop regional approaches to its implementation, working with key UK life sciences clusters and Devolved Administrations. The life sciences sector deal can be seen here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/life-sciences-sector-deal

Life Sciences: Finance

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to ensure that money disbursed from the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund through the life sciences sector deal is spread across the UK.

Joseph Johnson: The UK has a number of world class life sciences clusters across the country and the Industrial Strategy’s aim is to distribute growth and opportunity, with investments going to projects around the UK. The Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund projects are independently assessed by UK Research and Innovation on their quality and competitiveness of innovation. The data to early diagnosis and precision medicine challenge announced in the life sciences sector is being finalised for launch next year. Details on how businesses and researchers can apply will be available at the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund website:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/industrial-strategy-challenge-fund-joint-research-and-innovation

Energy: Meters

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whose responsibility is it to (a) move and (b) pay for the relocation of an old meter when it is replaced with a smart meter and who should bear the cost for the completion of such work.

Richard Harrington: A smart meter will normally be installed in the same location as the traditional meter it is replacing. The responsibility to move and pay for any relocation depends on the situation and could fall to the energy supplier, network operator or property owner. There are some circumstances where the meter should be moved for free – for example if a customer is on the Priority Services Register and has difficulty accessing the meter. Energy UK have produced a guide for smart meter installers relating to issues facing consumers which is available online: http://www.energy-uk.org.uk/files/docs/GuidanceforElectricityandGasMeterInstallationCustomerFacingIssues.pdf

Energy: Meters

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether there is any legal requirement for (a) landlords and (b) energy companies to move existing energy meters and connected isolation fuses from exterior store cupboards into individual flats.

Richard Harrington: There are no such regulations for landlords. Under Schedule 7 of the Electricity Act 1989, the supplier shall determine the position of the meter within the customer’s premises, unless in all circumstances it is more reasonable to place it outside premises or in some other position. The position of a gas meter must comply with the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998.For prepayment meters, under the terms of their supply licence, suppliers must alter the position of the meter if it is not safe and reasonably practicable in all circumstances for the consumer to use it.

Energy: Storage

Sir Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans he has to support the use of (a) home battery storage and (b) other storage technologies.

Richard Harrington: Our Smart Systems and Flexibility Plan supports the deployment of storage on our energy system by removing policy and regulatory barriers, opening markets and committing £70 million of innovation funding for smart systems, including storage. This innovation funding is on top of the £246 million Faraday Battery Challenge to help the UK become a world leader in the research, development and manufacture of batteries for electric vehicles.Specifically, on home battery storage, we are putting enabling measures in place such as smart meters and measures to encourage smart tariffs (which allow consumers to benefit from cheap energy when demand is low). These measures form part of the Smart Meters Bill.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Brexit

Jo Platt: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what resources he has allocated within his Department to prepare contingency plans to cope with all possible outcomes of the UK's negotiations with the EU.

Margot James: It is not possible to estimate the resources allocated specifically to the preparation of contingency plans due to interdependencies between this and other work undertaken as part of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Straegy’s preparations for EU exit.The Department will continue to ensure there is an appropriate level of resource to deliver its EU exit work.

Batteries

James Cartlidge: What steps he has taken to support the development of improved battery technology for (a) electric vehicles and (b) energy storage.

Greg Clark: This Government wants the UK to lead the world in design, development and manufacture of batteries, particularly for electric vehicles. That is why we committed £246 million for the Faraday Battery Challenge, including £80 million for the National Faraday Battery Scale-up Facility. Our 2017 Smart Systems and Flexibility Plan supports deployment of batteries on our energy system by removing barriers, opening markets and committing £70 million of innovation funding for smart systems, including storage.

Energy: Prices

Preet Kaur Gill: What the timetable is for the implementation of an energy price cap.

Margot James: The Government will legislate at the earliest possible opportunity. The draft Bill is currently undergoing scrutiny by the BEIS Select Committee. We would hope for cross-party support for this Bill and a quick passage through Parliament. The Bill allows for Ofgem to consult on its proposed methodology and draft licence condition while the Bill is being progressed through Parliament.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Sudan: Overseas Trade

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what (a) financial and (b) administrative support his Department has provided to the forthcoming trade conference with Sudan on 12 December 2017.

Rory Stewart: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is not providing any financial or administrative support to the forthcoming trade conference with Sudan on 12 December 2017.

Burma: Rohingya

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the security and protection of the Rohingya are prioritised in the Bangladesh-Myanmar deal on returning Rohingya Muslims to Myanmar.

Mark Field: The Government has been clear throughout the current crisis that the Rohingya refugees who have fled into Bangladesh must be able to return to their homes in Burma safely, voluntarily and in dignity. The UK proposed and secured a UN Security Council Presidential Statement on 6 November which called for these conditions to be met and urged the Governments of Burma and Bangladesh to invite the UN High Commissioner for Refugees to participate fully in the implementation of anyreturns process.I made clear in my 20 November meeting with the Chief of Staff to State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi that the UK expects that the Burmese authorities to ensure the safety and security of all Rohingya refugees who have fled to Bangladesh on their return to Burma. I also discussed the agreement with Bangladesh Minister of State Shahriar Alam on 30 November, setting out that any returns should be voluntary, safe, and in dignity.The agreement signed on 23 November between the Governments of Burma and Bangladesh includes a commitment from the Government of Burma to allow refugees who fled to Bangladesh since October 2016 to return to their original places of residence in Burma or a safe and secure place of their choice. The UK will work with international partners to ensure any returns take place in line with international norms and under international monitoring.

Burma: Rohingya

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with the Government of Myanmar on the need for that Government to implement the recommendations of the Kofi Annan Advisory Commission.

Mark Field: The Rakhine Advisory Commission presented its final report on 24 August. The Foreign Secretary convened a meeting of Foreign Ministers on the Rakhine crisis at the UN on 18 September, and in it called on Burma's National Security Adviser and Deputy Foreign Minister, both present, to ensure rapid implementation of the recommendations of Rakhine Advisory Commission by Burma's Government. I reiterated this in my meetings with Burma's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs on 20 September and State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi on 27 September. I emphasised Britain's readiness to support the Burmese government in implementation of the recommendations. The Foreign Secretary spoke to Aung San Suu Kyi on 21 October and stressed the importance of her implementing the steps she had set out in her 12 October speech, which included the long-term development of Rakhine in line with the recommendations of the Rakhine Advisory Commission. The UK proposed and secured unanimous support from the UN Security Council for a Presidential Statement on 6 November which urged all parts of the Government of Burma to work together to implement the Commission's recommendations swiftly and in full.

Burma: Rohingya

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to to support prompt, independent, and impartial investigations of crimes under international law relating to the Rohingya crisis; and if he will take steps to help  ensure that all persons responsible for such crimes are brought to justice.

Mark Field: The UK proposed and secured a UN Security Council Presidential Statement on 6 November which stressed the importance of transparent investigations into allegations of human rights violations, and holding to account all those responsible for such acts. States have primary responsibility for investigating allegations of crimes under international law. I called for an independent international investigation into reports of human rights violations when I met Burma's Defence Minister on 20 November. The UK will continue to work with international partners to maintain pressure on Burma's civilian government to allow such an investigation, and ensure accountability for the perpetrators of any crimes. The UK has also deployed two civilian experts to Bangladesh to conduct a capacity needs assessment on investigation and documentation of sexual violence, and to provide recommendations on support for evidence gathering.

Burma: Rohingya

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what conditions his Department plans to place on its support for the repatriation of the Rohingya to Myanmar with respect to the Bangladesh-Myanmar deal on that repatriation.

Mark Field: The Government has been clear throughout the current crisis that the Rohingya refugees who have fled into Bangladesh must be able to return to their homes in Burma safely, voluntarily and in dignity. The UK proposed and secured a UN Security Council Presidential Statement on 6 November which called for these conditions to be met and urged the Governments of Burma and Bangladesh to invite the UN High Commissioner for Refugees to participate fully in the implementation of anyreturns processI made clear in my 20 November meeting with the Chief of Staff to State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi that the UK expects that the Burmese authorities to ensure the safety and security of all Rohingya refugees who have fled to Bangladesh on their return to Burma. I also discussed the agreement with Bangladesh Minister of State Shahriar Alam on 30 November, setting out that any returns should be voluntary, safe, and in dignity. The agreement signed on 23 November between the Governments of Burma and Bangladesh includes a commitment from the Government of Burma to allow refugees who fled to Bangladesh since October 2016 to return to their original places of residence in Burma or a safe and secure place of their choice. The UK will work with international partners to ensure any returns take place in line with international norms and under international monitoring.

Burma: Sanctions

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to coordinate potential economic sanctions by the EU against the military in Burma with similar sanctions being considered by the US Administration.

Mark Field: The EU and US both retain arms embargoes on Burma. The Foreign Secretary secured agreement at the October EU Foreign Affairs Council to consider additional measures if the situation in Rakhine did not improve. In a press statement on 22 November the US Secretary of State spoke of the US possibly imposing targeted sanctions on Burma. The UK will discuss with EU partners and the US whether further sanctions are required following the UN Secretary-General's 12 December report to the UN Security Council on progress since the 6 November UN Security Council Presidential Statement.

Jagtar Singh Johal

Bim Afolami: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations his Department has made to the Government of India in the case of the UK citizen Jagtar Singh Johal; what reports his Department has received on the treatment of that person; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Field: Consular staff in India were made aware of allegations of mistreatment through Mr Johal's legal representation. Our priority is to inquire about these specific allegations with Mr Johal in private. We take all allegations of torture of mistreatment extremely seriously and we will press for action appropriate to the situation, with the consent of the individual, avoiding any action that may put the individual concerned at risk. The Foreign Secretary raised the case with the Indian Minister of External Affairs on 23 November and Consular officials continue to reiterate our request for a private meeting with Mr Johal with the Indian Government. I have personally raised this with the Indian ​High Commissioner.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office: ICT

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether electronic communications from hon. Members to Ministers of his Department are passed through any third parties before they reach their recipient.

Sir Alan Duncan: Electronic communications are passed across the internet via internet service providers. The routing of an email between members of Parliament and a Government department is dependent on which system and by which service the email is sent. Ministers' Private Offices and correspondence teams routinely handle and respond to emails on behalf of their Ministers.

Belarus: Human Trafficking

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the extent of human trafficking in Belarus.

Sir Alan Duncan: Belarus is a source, transit and destination country for individuals subjected to sex trafficking and forced labour. Our Embassy in Minsk has provided £100,000 of project funding to support the implementation of Council of Europe and UN recommendations on preventing human trafficking and gender inequality.

Brazil: Human Rights

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Government of Brazil to ensure that the human rights of former Presidents Lula and Rousseff are upheld.

Sir Alan Duncan: Former presidents Lula da Silva and Dilma Rouseff are subject to a judicial process as part of a major anti-corruption investigation. We understand that due process is being followed. We have not made any representations on this issue.

Libya: Human Trafficking

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with the (a) Libyan Government and (b) relevant UN agencies on recent reports of human trafficking in Libya.

Alistair Burt: The UK is determined to eliminate the scourge of forced labour, modern slavery and human trafficking. The UK regularly raises with the Libyan Government the need for wider respect for human rights and accountability across the country. During his visit to Libya in August the Foreign Secretary raised with Prime Minister Serraj the importance of offering humanitarian support to migrants and the need to respect human rights. I also raised our concerns about the human rights situation in Libya, including the issue of slavery, with the Libyan Deputy Prime Minister at the Mediterranean Dialogues in Rome on 1 December and welcomed the investigation into this issue. The UK works closely with the relevant UN agencies and has also further underlined our concerns about these reports in our recent discussions with the Libyan Government in Tripoli, and will continue to monitor the situation closely. The UK has condemned the reports in recent United Nations Security Council meetings and – as penholder in the Security Council on Libya – welcomes the 7 December Presidential Statement on the issue of slavery in Libya.​​

Iran: Overseas Trade

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what advice his Department provides to other Government Departments and businesses on doing business in Iran.

Alistair Burt: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 11 December (PQ117021).

Cameroon: Politics and Government

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received on a Communique sent to the Anglophone population of Southern Cameroon on its being required to evacuate its villages.

Rory Stewart: ​The United Kingdom understands that a Communiqué was issued by the Senior Divisional Officer (SDO) of Manyu District (South-West Region) on 1 December ordering villagers to relocate to safer neighbourhoods. The High Commissioner in Yaoundé is following events in the Anglophone regions closely and has actively raised the need for dialogue and restraint with the Cameroonian authorities, including their obligations under international law in respect to human rights. We continue to call for restraint, for all parties to reject violence, pursue peaceful, inclusive and purposeful dialogue, and urgently take action to reduce tensions.

Cameroon: Human Rights

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the human rights situation in Cameroon.

Rory Stewart: Our High Commission in Yaoundé continues to follow events in the Anglophone regions closely, meeting opposition groups, human rights defenders and the Cameroonian authorities. The lack of verifiable information on the human rights situation, including allegations of rape, makes it difficult to give an accurate assessment. However, the High Commissioner will continue to raise our concerns with the Cameroonian authorities, including Cameroon's obligations under international law in respect to human rights. The British Government condemns sexual violence in conflict and is working with foreign governments, the United Nations, African Union, and international organisations to end it.

Anguilla: Hurricanes and Tornadoes

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, what funds the Government has made available to Anguilla following Hurricane Irma.

Sir Alan Duncan: The Government committed £57 million to meet the immediate humanitarian needs of the Overseas Territories affected. This funding supported the response across the territories of Anguilla, British Virgin Islands and Turks and Caicos Islands, and accordingly, it is not possible to break the figure down between the three. A further £15 million for early recovery activity was subsequently committed, of which £6.5 million was allocated to Anguilla.On 28 November the Prime Minister announced an additional and final £70 million package of recovery and reconstruction support for the affected three Territories. We anticipate a significant proportion of this will be made available to Anguilla. This will be supplemented by up to £300 million of UK loan guarantees for Territories that need support to access finance.

Marine Environment: Conservation

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State Foreign and Commonwealth Office, pursuant to the Answer of 1 November 2017 to Question 109463, what assessment his Department has made of the level of international support for a new international agreement under the UN for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction.

Sir Alan Duncan: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs have been closely involved in the negotiations of the Preparatory Committee (PrepCom) to develop an international legally binding instrument under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction.The fourth session of the PrepCom adopted, by consensus, a set of recommendations to the UN General Assembly so that it could take a decision on convening an Inter-Governmental Conference to finalise the new treaty. There was overwhelming support to moving towards negotiation of the new treaty.However, the textual elements recommended for consideration do not reflect consensus and we recognise that the negotiations on some aspects of the treaty may be difficult, in particular matters related to marine genetic resources and benefit sharing, and the relationship with existing competent bodies such as the International Maritime Organization and regional fishery management organisations.

Overseas Aid: Terrorism

Kate Osamor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, on what date the Government became aware that development assistance channelled through Adam Smith International and the Access to Justice and Community Services programme was potentially  being diverted to terrorist groups.

Alistair Burt: On the evening of 16 November 2017 Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) officials in Istanbul were alerted to allegations of corruption, human rights abuses and diversion of funds to extremist groups made by BBC Panorama. London officials and FCO Ministers were made aware on 17 November. FCO officials and Ministers were alerted to allegations made by The Times on 1 December.

Chad: Foreign Relations

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when last he met his counterpart in the Government of Chad, and what issues were discussed at that meeting.

Rory Stewart: The Foreign Secretary is yet to meet his Chadian counterpart, who assumed office in February 2017, but is looking forward to closer co-operation with Chad in the context of the G5 Sahel Joint Force, which the UK strongly supports.

Department for Exiting the European Union

Industrial Health and Safety

Liz Twist: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect on the extent of the divergence of regulations and standards which underpin health, safety and personal protective products in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a mutual recognition agreement.

Mr Robin Walker: As part of EU exit negotiations, we will discuss how best to continue cooperation in the areas of health and safety and personal protective equipment, in order to satisfy the best interests of both the UK and the EU. It would not be appropriate to prejudge the outcome of these negotiations. It should however be noted that, regardless of our future economic relationship with the EU, the UK is committed to ensuring strong health and safety standards. The UK is recognised as a world-leader in delivering strong health and safety protections for workers, and according to health and safety at work statistics, the UK is one of the safest places to work in the EU.

Industrial Health and Safety

Liz Twist: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what assessment his Department has made of the effect on the UK health and safety product sector of the UK leaving the EU.

Mr Robin Walker: As part of our work preparing to make a success of our departure from the European Union we are undertaking a broad range of sectoral analysis covering the entirety of the UK economy. This means looking at 58 sectors as well as cross-cutting regulatory, economic and social issues to help inform our negotiation positions. The Government’s sector report on Life Sciences, which also covers pharmaceuticals and medical devices, sets out a description of the sectors, the current EU regulatory regime, existing frameworks for how trade is facilitated between countries in these sectors and sector views. These reports have been made available for members of both Houses to read in a secure reading room. The Government is committed to securing the best possible deal for the United Kingdom - a deal that works for the entirety of the UK economy. We have been engaging with businesses and industry bodies from all sectors of the economy in order to inform our negotiations with the EU.

Clinical Trials: EU Law

Chris Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what discussions he has had with the science and research community on ensuring that the UK will have compatible regulations with the EU clinical trials regulations after the UK leaves the EU.

Mr Robin Walker: The Prime Minister has made clear that a key priority through the negotiations will be to ensure that the UK remains one of the best places in the world for science and innovation. As part of those negotiations the Government will discuss with the EU and Member States how best to continue cooperation in the field of clinical trials. Stakeholder engagement is a central element of our plan to build a national consensus around our negotiating position; we are listening and talking to as many organisations, companies and institutions as possible. We have been working closely with business through the joint government and industry, UK EU Life Sciences Steering Group, to help identify the priorities for our future relationship with the EU for the benefit of patient health, including clinical trials. We have also engaged stakeholders from other sectors, including the Association of Medical Research Charities, to discuss cross cutting issues which may impact our future relationship on clinical trials. I also attend the Minister of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy’s Stakeholder Working Group on EU Exit, Universities, Research and Innovation.

Drugs and Medical Equipment

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether he has made an assessment of the effect of leaving the (a) EU and (b) European Court of Justice on resolving disputes about medicines and medical devices.

Mr Robin Walker: The UK has one of the strongest and most productive life sciences sectors in the world. This Government is committed to ensuring a positive outcome for the sector, that enhances competitiveness and builds on the success that we are rightly proud of, as we exit the European Union.The UK will engage constructively to negotiate an approach to enforcement and dispute resolution for the future partnership which meets the key objectives of the UK and the EU, including for the life sciences sector. This will underpin the deep and special partnership we are seeking with the EU.

Department for Exiting the European Union: ICT

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether electronic communications from hon. Members to Ministers in his Department are passed through any third parties before they reach their recipient.

Mr Steve Baker: Electronic communications are passed across the internet via internet service providers, and the routing of an email between an Hon Member and a Government department is dependent on which system and service an email is sent through. Ministers’ Private Offices and correspondence teams routinely handle and respond to emails on behalf of their Ministers.

Department for Exiting the European Union: Travel

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, if he will publish the travel costs incurred by (a) Ministers and (b) staff in his Department since his Department was established.

Mr Steve Baker: Information on the cost of travel by ministers and senior officials from the Department for Exiting the European Union is published in transparency releases on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications?departments%5B%5D=department-for-exiting-the-european-union&publication_type=transparency-data Travel costs incurred by staff, including ministers, in the Department for 2016-17 were published in the 2016-17 Annual Report and Accounts. Travel costs incurred by staff, including ministers, in the Department for 2017-18 will be published in the Annual Report and Accounts at the end of the financial year.

Department for International Development

Developing Countries: HIV Infection

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether she plans to undertake a review of her Department’s role in the global response to HIV/AIDS; and if she will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, for what reasons her Department has not undertaken a cumulative impact assessment of its work on the global response to HIV/AIDS since 2013.

Alistair Burt: The UK continues to play its part in tackling HIV and is proud to be the second largest funder of HIV prevention, treatment and care. Our support to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, UNAIDS, Unitaid and civil society organisations have helped save millions of lives. Globally 20 million people are now on life saving treatment and new HIV infections among children have dramatically declined. DFID has no immediate plans to undertake a separate review or impact assessment of the UK’s global response to HIV.The UK is guided by our 2013 review to integrate HIV within broader development and health systems strengthening work. We continue to pursue this approach.Annual reviews of all DFID’s programmes are publicly available on the DFID Development Tracker.

Middle East: Refugees

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 30 November 2017 to Question 115249 on Refugees: Disability, what information her Department holds on  the number of referrals made to the disability programmes the UK Government is supporting in that region.

Alistair Burt: We do not hold specific data on referrals to disability programmes. However, we are committed to ensuring people with disabilities are systematically included in our programme portfolio, and we are asking all our partners to do more to disaggregate data by disability. Examples of programmes we support which directly benefit people with disabilities include:Tailored education for students with special needs in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, either through incorporation into mainstream schooling or referral to specialised teaching (delivered through United Nations Relief and Works Agency). Specialised psychiatric care, protection for children traumatised by violence or conflict, and cash assistance for families with a family member who has mental health issues (delivered through International Medical Corps).

British Overseas Territories: Hurricanes and Tornadoes

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State of International Development, what proportion of the package of recovery and reconstruction for British Overseas Territories affected by recent hurricanes announced by the Prime Minister on 28 November 2017 is classified as ODA; and whether any amount of ODA has been diverted from other intended recipients as a result of that classification.

Alistair Burt: Under the current Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) Development Assistance Committee (DAC) rules the three hurricane affected Overseas Territories, Anguilla, the Turks and Caicos Islands and the British Virgin Islands, are not eligible to receive Official Development Assistance (ODA) due to their Gross National Income (GNI) per capita being above the ODA eligibility cut off point. The United Kingdom (UK) Government has committed £142 million of non-ODA funding to the hurricane relief effort in the Overseas Territories. In addition up to £300 million of loan guarantees will be available to help the affected Overseas Territories access the funds needed to Build Back Better. ODA rules have not and will not stop Britain dedicating the money needed for the hurricane recovery and reconstruction the Overseas Territories.

Department for International Development: Bell Pottinger Group

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what representations any Minister of her Department has received from Bell Pottinger on behalf of (a) Atos IT Services UK Limited, (b) Centrica PLC, (c) Ernst & Young and (d) Monarch Holdings Limited.

Rory Stewart: Details of Ministerial Meetings will be published in the Department's Quarterly Transparency Returns, which will be made publicly available on GOV.UK.

Overseas Aid

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she is taking to ensure that UK development assistance does not end up in the hands of terrorist groups or regimes that persecute LGBT people, religious minorities or minority ethnic groups.

Rory Stewart: The Department for International Development has robust measures in place to protect, prevent, and detect the diversion of aid. We have controls embedded through-out the programme cycle, from design through mobilisation, delivery and closure; this includes a rigorous due diligence process and a comprehensive risk management framework which requires risks to be identified prior to any disbursement of aid.All organisations that receive funding from DFID are required to provide evidence about the use of funds, including audited financial statements which are examined as we monitor programme performance and delivery. All of our funding mechanisms allow DFID to terminate funding projects early if suppliers do not fulfil their obligations. DFID uses the UK Partnership Principles which are a set of 4 principles to assess partner governments. These include a commitment to respect human rights, and in particular the civil, social and cultural rights of poor or marginalised people.We have a zero tolerance approach to aid diversion and this applies to all those within the delivery chain who are entrusted with UK aid. When aid diversion is identified DFID will always work to recover UK taxpayers’ money.

South Sudan: Famine

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what funding her Department has allocated to humanitarian operations to takle the famine in South Sudan.

Alistair Burt: The UN’s September Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report shows that South Sudanese people are experiencing food insecurity at unprecedented levels. A massive aid effort, which included £100 million provided by the Department for International Development, alleviated the famine declared in February this year. However, 6 million people, or 56% of the population, are now estimated to be severely food insecure, and 1.2 million are on the brink of famine.The UK is at the forefront of the international response to the crisis. Through the Humanitarian and Resilience Building in South Sudan programme, the Department for International Development will provide £443 million in humanitarian aid between 2015 and 2020 to support the provision of food, emergency shelter, and nutrition and health services, including our response to famine and severe food insecurity.

Palestinians: Terrorism

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Memorandum of Understanding between the Palestinian Authority (PA) and her Department, what discussions her Department has had with the PA on the payment of a salary of 2,600 shekels each month for life to the family of Nimr Mahmoud Ahmed Al-Jamal who carried out the Har Adar terrorist attack on 26 September 2017.

Alistair Burt: No UK aid is used for payments to Palestinian prisoners or their families. UK financial assistance to the Palestinian Authority is only used to help to pay the salaries of health and education public servants in the West Bank. Only named public servants from a pre-approved EU list are eligible and a robust verification system validates that funds are used for the intended purposes. The UK government strongly condemns all forms of violence and incitement to violence.

Palestinians: Terrorism

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Memorandum of Understanding between the Palestinian Authority (PA) and her Department, what discussions her Department has had with the PA on the distribution of diaries by Fatah’s youth movement at schools which pictured Abu Jihad who was responsible for the murder of 125 Israelis and Salah Khalaf who was the head of the terrorist organisation Black September.

Alistair Burt: Our partnership with the Palestinian Authority includes a commitment from the Palestinian leadership to adhere to the principle of non-violence and to tackle language and avoid actions that could incite violence or hatred. The UK continues to urge the Palestinian leadership to uphold this principle. I raised the issue of incitement with senior Palestinian counterparts during my recent visit. The UK government strongly condemns all forms of violence and incitement to violence.

Palestinians: Overseas Aid

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Memorandum of Understanding between the Palestinian Authority (PA) and her Department, what discussions her Department has had with the PA on its funding for summer camps in which children performed mock stabbing attacks.

Alistair Burt: Our partnership with the Palestinian Authority includes a commitment from the Palestinian leadership to adhere to the principle of non-violence and to tackle language and avoid actions that could incite violence or hatred. The UK continues to urge the Palestinian leadership to uphold this principle. I raised the issue of incitement with senior Palestinian counterparts during my recent visit. The UK government strongly condemns all forms of violence and incitement to violence.

Palestinians: Terrorism

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the memorandum of understanding between the Palestinian Authority and her Department, what discussions her Department has had with the Palestinian Authority on the content of a music video broadcast on official Palestinian Authority TV on 10 April 2017 glorifying terror and promising to break the Jews.

Alistair Burt: Our partnership with the Palestinian Authority includes a commitment from the Palestinian leadership to adhere to the principle of non-violence and to tackle language and avoid actions that could incite violence or hatred. The UK continues to urge the Palestinian leadership to uphold this principle. I raised the issue of incitement with senior Palestinian counterparts during my recent visit. The UK government strongly condemns all forms of violence and incitement to violence.

Department for Education

Apprentices: Taxation

Jo Platt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the effect of the introduction of the apprenticeship levy on the number of people undertaking apprenticeships.

Jo Platt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has set a target for the number of apprenticeship starts in the year after the introduction of the Apprenticeship Levy.

Anne Milton: There have been over 1.1 million apprenticeship starts since May 2015 and we aim to reach 3 million apprenticeship starts in England by 2020. The apprenticeship levy is an essential step in our drive to boost productivity and encourage sustained employer investment in more high quality apprenticeships. We are pleased to see a greater investment in higher quality, employer designed apprenticeship standards. 24,600 starts on standards took place in 2016/17, a significant increase from 4,300 the year before. Our reforms are the largest changes to apprenticeships that government has ever made. It is expected that employers, and the apprenticeship market, take time to maximise the opportunities that apprenticeships represent.

Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education

Sir Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress is being made on the implementation of curriculum elements required by the provisions of the Children and Social Work Act 2017.

Sir Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress is being made on updating guidance on sex and relationship education.

Nick Gibb: The Children and Social Work Act requires the Government to make regulations to provide for primary schools to teach Relationships Education and for secondary schools to teach Relationships and Sex Education. The Act also provides a power to make Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PHSE) education mandatory in all state-funded schools. We have begun an engagement process with stakeholders to help reach evidence-based decisions on the content of the regulations and guidance, as well as further consideration of the status of PSHE. We envisage draft regulations and the guidance will be published for consultation in 2018. The Regulations will then be laid alongside final draft guidance allowing for a full and considered debate in Parliament. We are working towards schools teaching the new subjects from September 2019.

Teachers: Bureaucracy

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent steps she has taken to reduce teacher workload; and if she will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: The Department’s programme of work on removing unnecessary teacher workload aims to improve retention rates in schools, and enable teachers to focus on teaching. We continue to work extensively with unions, teachers and Ofsted to challenge and remove practices that create unnecessary workload for teachers and school leaders.The action plan, published in February 2017 alongside the results of the 2016 Teacher Workload Survey, sets out action already taken and the next steps to continue to tackle this issue. We have committed to further targeted support for schools. We are now working with the schools sector to develop a practical workload reduction toolkit underpinned by a set of core principles. The toolkit, to be launched in Spring 2018, will provide head teachers, governors, initial teacher training providers and teachers with practical tools and evidence based advice.We are also continuing our series of events, working with school leaders to showcase how some schools have reduced workload and to raise awareness of the three independent reports.We will continue to improve the evidence on what drives excessive workload and what works to reduce it.

Schools: Finance

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department takes to provide emergency financial support to schools that cannot afford basic educational and stationery supplies.

Nick Gibb: In July 2017 My Rt hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced an additional £1.3 billion for schools and high needs across 2018-19 and 2019-20, in addition to the schools budget set at Spending Review 2015. This means funding per pupil for schools and high needs will be maintained in real terms for the next two years. We trust schools to manage their own budgets and only a small percentage are operating with a cumulative deficit, with far more schools having a surplus. In 2015-16, 16 schools in England had an overall cumulative surplus of almost £4.5 billion, against a cumulative deficit of £200 million. Academies are able to raise concerns about their individual institution’s finances with their regional contacts in the Education and Skills Funding Agency. Concerns about the finances of individual maintained schools should be raised with their maintaining local authority. If individual academies or maintained schools have concerns over the local distribution of funding, they should discuss this with their school forum.

Schools: Standards

Alan Mak: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of children are in schools rated good or outstanding in England in 2017; and how many children there were in schools so rated in 2010.

Nick Gibb: On 30 November 2017, Ofsted released their latest inspection data as at 31 August 2017, reporting there were 6,768,836 children in England in Good or Outstanding schools. The proportion of children in England in Good or Outstanding schools as at 31 August 2017, is 87%. The latest Ofsted First Release publication can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/maintained-schools-and-academies-inspections-and-outcomes-as-at-31-august-2017.  Official statistics released by Ofsted showed there were 4,855,336 children in England in Good or Outstanding schools as at 31 August, 2010. The proportion of children in England in Good or Outstanding schools as at 31 August 2010, was 66%. See Ofsted’s Dataview site for further details:https://public.tableau.com/profile/ofsted#!/vizhome/Dataview/Viewregionalperformanceovertime.

Domestic Visits: Knowsley

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she next plans to visit the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Secretary of State does not currently have plans to visit the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley, but looks forward to visiting when her diary permits.

Faith Schools: Equality

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether paragraph 4 of Schedule 22 to the Equality Act 2010 exempts English schools designated with a religious character from Schedule 9 to that Act.

Anne Milton: Paragraph 4 (education appointments, etc. : religious belief) of Schedule 22 to the Equality Act 2010 does not provide English schools designated with a religious character with an exemption from Schedule 9 to that Act. Rather, it provides some exceptions from the provisions of the Act as a whole in certain situations – this is to prevent such schools from discriminating contrary to the Act on the basis of religion or belief.Schedule 9 (work: exceptions) provides exceptions from provisions in Part 5 of the Act which covers employment. Therefore, Schedule 9 is focussed on work and employment in the widest sense rather than in the sphere of education. It does provide one exception in paragraph 3 of that Schedule which does have an impact on schools namely that it enables employers (including schools) to make religion or belief an occupational requirement for work in certain circumstances without breaching provisions of Part 5 of the Act.Paragraph 4 of Schedule 22 set out a few exceptions from the provisions of the Equality Act for foundation schools, voluntary schools, academies and free schools, and independent schools that are not academies, where they have been designated as having a religious character.The exceptions cover a range of situations relating to the appointment, promotion and remuneration of teachers by cross-referring to various sections in the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 which cover these situations in the context of schools designated as having a religious character. Paragraph 4 of Schedule 22 states that such schools do not contravene the provisions of the Equality Act simply because they are acting in line with the relevant sections of the 1998 Act.If a school with a religious character is acting in compliance with the relevant provisions of the 1998 Act this gives it protection from claims that it is discriminating on grounds of religion or belief and is in breach of the Equality Act. Such schools may take faith into account when employing teachers, for example. Our expectation is that schools with a religious character will balance the need to maintain the religious character of their school with that of securing the best staff for their school. Alongside this, school leaders are very aware, for example, that they must comply with employment law and their responsibilities under the Equality Act that are not covered by the exceptions when making appointments.

Children: Day Care

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans she has to extend the provision of 15 additional hours of free childcare to children in foster care in England.

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the national minimum fostering allowance in order to account for the cost of childcare.

Mr Robert Goodwill: Foster carers play a vital role in supporting some of our most vulnerable children. It is right that foster carers receive the support they need to meet the needs of the children they look after. Foster carers are able to access the universal 15 hours of free childcare for their own children. We also need to consider whether it is possible for children in foster care to take up the additional 15 hours in a way that promotes the best interests of the child.

Children: Day Care

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of fostered children are currently excluded from the provision of 15 additional hours of free childcare.

Mr Robert Goodwill: I am sorry, but the department does not hold the data requested.

Foster Care: Finance

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what financial support her Department provides to foster carers to meet childcare costs.

Mr Robert Goodwill: Foster carers play a vital role in supporting some of our most vulnerable children and it is right that they receive the support they need to meet the needs of the children they look after. Foster carers are able to access the universal 15 hours of free childcare and they will receive an allowance to help with the costs of caring for the child. They also receive favourable treatment through the tax and benefits system.

Foster Care

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education,what steps her Department are taking to tackle the barriers to fostering for people in work outside of the home.

Mr Robert Goodwill: Foster carers play a vital role in supporting some of our most vulnerable children and it is right that they receive the support they need to meet the needs of the children they look after. We have introduced the foster-family-friendly employer policy, with the Department for Education leading by example in ensuring support and flexibility for its employees who foster. The National Fostering Stocktake, a comprehensive review of the fostering system, is also underway. The Stocktake is looking at a wide range of issues including the recruitment and retention of foster carers and the support foster carers receive. The reviewers will report to me with recommendations at the end of the year. Foster carers are able to access the universal 15 hours of free childcare for all children in their care. We need to consider whether it is possible for children in foster care to take up the additional 15 hours in a way that promotes the best interests of the child.

Teachers: Graduates

Sir Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to increase the number of graduates taking up teaching positions in infant and primary schools in England.

Nick Gibb: The number of teachers is at an all-time high: there are now 457,300 full time equivalent teachers, up 15,500 from 2010, and 222,400 full time equivalent nursery and primary teachers, up 26,000 from 2010. We have also recruited more than 32,000 new trainee teachers this year. We have successfully recruited more postgraduate primary trainees than last year – 12,905 up from 11,290 the year before – an increase of 1,615 (14%). In the same period, the primary target also increased by 6% to 12,121, meaning 106% of the primary target was achieved. In addition, we have recruited 595 new entrants to Early Years Initial Teacher Training in academic year 2017 to 2018. The Government continues to offer a number of generous financial incentives to encourage recruitment of high quality teachers, including the Primary Maths bursary that is available for trainees on a Primary General with Maths or Primary Maths Specialist Initial Teacher Training course.

Department for Education: ICT

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether electronic communications from hon. Members to Ministers of her Department are passed through any third parties before they reach their recipient.

Mr Robert Goodwill: As part of the Government Secure Intranet (GSI) network, emails sent to the Department for Education (DfE) from outside of the department are processed via a third party email filtering system, which provides antiviral and antispam capabilities. DfE can only comment on the mail flow process once it has entered the GSI network and can only comment on emails received by ministers via their departmental email address.

Department for Education: Pay

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of (a) departmental employees and (b) maintained school staff are paid through trusts rather than through PAYE.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Department for Education does not pay any of its employees through trusts. The department does not hold information about the payment of staff employed in maintained schools.

Schools: Pay

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what data the Department collects on the number and proportion of staff employed by (a) academy and (b) free schools who are paid through trusts rather than through PAYE.

Nick Gibb: The information requested is not collected by the Department.

Vocational Education

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to page 11 of the Industrial Strategy, what assessment she has made of the effect of funding cuts to the Adult Skills Budget since 2010 on the ability to establish a technical education system that rivals the best in the world.

Anne Milton: The Adult Education Budget (AEB), introduced in 2016-17, replaced three separate funding lines: funding for adult vocational education outside of apprenticeships (previously held within the Adult Skills Budget), Community Learning and Discretionary Learner Support. We have maintained funding for the AEB in cash terms at £1.5 billion for this year to support adult skills participation. In the 2017-18 financial year, the overall funding for adult Further Education and skills (excluding capital) is £3.4 billion. This £3 billion will be available to directly support learning (this includes funding for offender learning which is now the responsibility of Ministry of Justice). This is set out in the Skills Funding Letter 2017-18 which can be viewed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/skills-funding-letter-april-2017-to-march-2018. Furthermore, in the Spring 2017 Budget, the government announced the investment of an additional £500 million per year in England’s technical education system once T levels have been fully rolled out. We announced £20 million to help providers prepare for the delivery of T levels and to help teachers prepare for these changes. In the first wave of reforms to technical education, we are focussing on developing T levels as high quality level 3 technical study programmes for 16 to 19 year olds. We will consider how we adapt T levels so they are appropriate for adult learners and will review technical provision at levels 4 and 5. On 30 November we published a consultation setting out proposals for T levels and the wider reformed technical education system. It seeks views on how best to implement the reforms to make sure they are a success and meet the aims of the Sainsbury Report and the Post-16 Skills Plan.

Sex and Relationship Education

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with students and young people on improving relationships and sex education in schools.

Nick Gibb: As part of our duty to introduce mandatory Relationships Education in primary schools and Relationships and Sex Education in secondary schools, the Department has begun a thorough and wide-ranging engagement with stakeholders. This process will help to make evidence-based decisions on the content of the regulations and statutory guidance for these subjects, as well as further consideration of the status of Personal, Social, Health and Economic education. We are committed to consulting young people as an important part of our engagement process. As we shape the guidance and age appropriate subject content, we want to ensure that it is relevant and ensures that pupils are taught the core knowledge to manage the challenges they will face in modern Britain. The engagement process will give students and young people the opportunity to participate. We will set out shortly more details about this.

Social Mobility Commission

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many meetings the Social Mobility Commission Commissioners held with Government Ministers in each of the last 12 months.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Chair of the Social Mobility Commission regularly engages with government Ministers, including through meetings which take place throughout the year. The Department for Education is fully committed to the work of the Social Mobility Commission. We value the wide-ranging work carried out by the Commission, including its research programme, its State of the Nation annual reports, and both the Social Mobility Index and the Social Mobility Employer Index. My Rt hon. Friend The Secretary of State spoke at the launch of the Social Mobility Employer Index in July 2017, alongside members of the Commission.

Schools: Asbestos

Meg Hillier: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what analysis and data her Department holds on the number of school buildings which contain asbestos.

Nick Gibb: The Department takes the issue of asbestos in schools seriously, and is committed to supporting schools, local authorities and academy trusts to fulfil their duty to manage asbestos safely. It is the aim of the government that, over time, as more school buildings are replaced and refurbished, all asbestos will be removed from schools.The Department has invested £4.2 billion in maintenance and improvement across the schools’ estate since 2015, enabling local authorities and multi-academy trusts to maintain their school buildings, and is rebuilding or refurbishing buildings at over 500 schools through the Priority Schools Building Programme - an investment of £4.4 billion. Asbestos is being removed or encapsulated where appropriate as part of these programmes.Usage of asbestos in the construction of buildings in Britain, including schools, peaked between 1945 and 1975 before declining until its use was banned in 1999. The Department is currently developing an asbestos management assurance process. This process will ask local bodies responsible for management of asbestos in schools to provide information about whether asbestos is present in their schools and how this is being managed.

Pre-school Education: Finance

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, why the formula used to calculate the Supplementary Funding for Maintained Nursery Schools for 2018-19 will not recognise the contribution maintained nursery schools are making to the delivery of the Government’s 30 hours free childcare  programme by funding the additional 15 hours at the same hourly rate as the universal entitlement, and what assessment he has made of whether  maintained nursery schools will be sustainable under this formula.

Mr Robert Goodwill: Maintained nursery schools make a valuable contribution to improving the lives of some of our most disadvantaged children, and as is the case for all early years providers, it is for local authorities to decide the rate of funding that they receive. Our supplementary funding of around £60 million a year enables local authorities to maintain their pre-Early Years National Funding Formula funding position for maintained nursery schools.Maintained nursery schools can choose to offer the full 30 hours entitlement, but local authorities will need to be mindful that nursery schools may have to reduce the number of universal entitlement places they offer in order to deliver the full entitlement. For nursery schools that cannot or do not want to offer the full entitlement themselves, we would encourage them to consider a range of options for being involved in the delivery of the entitlement, including working in partnership with other providers.We continue to work closely with the maintained nursery schools sector.

STEM Subjects: Training

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to encourage and promote apprenticeships and traineeships in science, technology, engineering and mathematics roles (a) in the general aviation sector and (b) elsewhere.

Anne Milton: A full list of apprenticeship standards is available online at: https://www.instituteforapprenticeships.org/apprenticeship-standards/. Apprenticeships in science, engineering and maths are well represented, and there are specific standards for aviation including Aviation Maintenance Mechanic (Military) at level 2 and Aerospace Engineer at degree level 6. The ‘Amazing Apprenticeships’ resource portal provides information, advice and videos to schools, featuring case studies from employers in the STEM related sector and promotes their vacancies. A series of live broadcasts has recently been launched showcasing a broad range of employers including Highways England, National Grid, IBM and the BBC. We continue to promote the benefits of apprenticeships and traineeships to employers and young people and are taking part in the 2018 Year of Engineering campaign.

Careers and Enterprise Company: Finance

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans she has to give additional funding to the Careers and Enterprise Company to support their broader role set out in paragraph 60 of the Government's Careers Strategy, published in December 2017.

Anne Milton: The Careers & Enterprise Company (CEC) will take on a broader role to help schools and colleges to develop all aspects of their careers programme. They will co-ordinate support across all eight Gatsby Benchmarks, which define excellence in careers provision.The careers strategy explains that we will fund careers hubs in 20 areas to link together schools, colleges, universities and other local organisations to test approaches to improving careers provision in their area. The government’s investment of £5 million will include funding for an additional coordinator for each hub, based at the CEC, who will be trained across all the benchmarks. Each hub will work with the CEC’s network structure within the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP).This is part of a major trial of the CEC’s expanded role. It replicates the approach in the North East pilot which explored the practicalities and impact of putting the Gatsby Benchmarks into practice. Participants in the pilot found that the LEP-led careers system was valuable in creating a shared vision. The coordinator played an essential role in helping schools and colleges become part of a network which can share ideas and tackle challenges.

Children's Centres

Tracy Brabin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether it is her policy to conduct a consultation into children's centres.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The government is committed to ensuring that all children, regardless of background, get the best possible start in life. Children’s centres have an important role to play. I am aware of the previous commitment made to consult on the future of children’s centre services. However, we rightly want to take some time to gather evidence and consider what steps would be appropriate. Local councils continue to have a duty to ensure there are sufficient centres or other settings such as family hubs to meet local need and to consult where they plan to make changes to local provision.

Apprentices: Finance

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to provide information to apprenticeship providers on the allocation of funding for apprentice places for 2018-19.

Anne Milton: The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) has undertaken a procurement exercise for the provision of apprenticeship training to non-levy employers from January 2018 to March 2019. This will ensure that small and medium sized enterprises can access high quality apprenticeship training to support their growth and success. The ESFA notified bidders of the outcome of the process on 7 December 2017, but as this remains a live procurement, we are unable to comment further. The department will provide further information in due course.

Apprentices: Training

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the margins of profitability of apprenticeship training provided by government-funded providers.

Anne Milton: To inform our policies, we commission, use and assess a range of data and information, which has included analysis of average profit margins for providers.

Pre-school Education: Standards

Tracy Brabin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to pages 91-97 of her Department's Study of Early Education and Development (SEED): Study of Quality of Early Years Provision in England, published in December 2017, what steps her Department is taking to end regional variations in quality in early education.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The study of early education and development (SEED) findings (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-provision-quality) indicate that improvements in the quality of early years provision have been seen over time. The research showed no variation in quality by area deprivation. Furthermore, the regional variation seen is not indicative of low overall quality in any region. The research backs up what we know – the number of childcare providers now rated good or outstanding by Ofsted has risen to 94% (https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/childcare-providers-and-inspections-as-at-31-august-2017) and the attainment gap between disadvantaged children and their peers continues to close at age 5. The early years workforce strategy published in 2017, sets out government's plans to help employers attract, retain and develop early years staff to support delivery of high quality provision.

Children: Day Care

Tracy Brabin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many local authorities will receive (a) less, (b) more and (c) the same funding in 2018-19 than in 2017-18 for delivering the 30 hours of funded childcare policy.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The 2018-19 funding allocations to local councils for delivering 30 hours of free childcare will be announced later in December 2017.

Children: Day Care

Tracy Brabin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to provide the details of local authorities involved in the buddy system for delivering the 30 hours of funded childcare policy.

Mr Robert Goodwill: Our delivery contractor, Childcare Works, is currently in discussion with local councils, including some of our early delivery areas, about potential buddying matches. Once the matches have been officially confirmed, this information will be made publically available.

Ministry of Justice

Courts: Sunderland

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 8 November 2017 to Question 110760 on courts: Sunderland, for what reasons he failed to engage with the invitation to visit the court building in Sunderland.

Dominic Raab: A further meeting with the Hon. Member to restate the actions taken by HM Courts & Tribunals Service in Sunderland would be welcome and can be arranged. Diary pressures over the coming weeks would, however, preclude a visit to Sunderland.The recent decision to integrate Sunderland County Court into the Sunderland Magistrates' Court building will enable us to focus our investment into a single court in Sunderland. This will result in a better standard of accomodation and improve the experience of those who use the court.

Civil Proceedings: Drugs and Medical Equipment

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what discussions his Department has had with the Department for Exiting the European Union on the establishment of mechanisms to resolve legal disputes on medicines and medical devices after the UK leaves the EU.

Dominic Raab: The UK has one of the strongest and most productive life sciences sectors in the world. This Government is committed to ensuring a positive outcome for the sector, that enhances competitiveness and builds on the success that we are rightly proud of, as we exit the European Union. The UK will engage constructively to negotiate an approach to enforcement and dispute resolution for the future partnership which meets the key objectives of the UK and the EU, including for the life sciences sector. This will underpin the deep and special partnership we are seeking with the EU.

Prisons: Crimes of Violence

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much has been paid in compensation to (a) prisoners, (b) prison staff and  (c) third parties as a result of injuries suffered in a violent attack on the prison estate in each year since 2010.

Mr Sam Gyimah: The information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Prisons: Drugs

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average number of incidents relating to Spice has been per prison in England and Wales since March 2017.

Mr Sam Gyimah: The Ministry of Justice and Her Majesty's Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) takes seriously the ongoing challenges that substance misuse, including psychoactive substances (PS) pose to our establishments and we continue to implement a range of measures to address both the availability and use of such harmful substances. This is based on a multi-agency approach working closely with health partners and law enforcement agencies. The HMPPS Incident Reporting System does not specifically record the reasons behind an incident and therefore it is not possible to provide the information you have requested. Prisons have at their disposal a range of security measures to reduce the supply of drugs into prisons including physical searching, the use of x-ray machines, CCTV surveillance cameras, intelligence-led searches as well as drug detection dogs. HMPPS have trained more than 300 dogs to detect PS and these dogs are available to all prisons. HMPPS are also exploring additional innovative security measures and new technology to complement existing searching methods in prisons. The introduction of mandatory drug testing for psychoactive substances in prisons in September 2016 was also a significant step to support our prisons in tackling the supply and use of these lethal drugs. We are not aware of any other prison service in the world that has introduced these innovative new tests.The Ministry of Justice and Her Majesty's Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) takes seriously the ongoing challenges that substance misuse, including psychoactive substances (PS) pose to our establishments and we continue to implement a range of measures to address both the availability and use of such harmful substances. This is based on a multi-agency approach working closely with health partners and law enforcement agencies. The HMPPS Incident Reporting System does not specifically record the reasons behind an incident and therefore it is not possible to provide the information you have requested. Prisons have at their disposal a range of security measures to reduce the supply of drugs into prisons including physical searching, the use of x-ray machines, CCTV surveillance cameras, intelligence-led searches as well as drug detection dogs. HMPPS have trained more than 300 dogs to detect PS and these dogs are available to all prisons. HMPPS are also exploring additional innovative security measures and new technology to complement existing searching methods in prisons. The introduction of mandatory drug testing for psychoactive substances in prisons in September 2016 was also a significant step to support our prisons in tackling the supply and use of these lethal drugs. We are not aware of any other prison service in the world that has introduced these innovative new tests.

Prisons: Drug Seizures

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average number of incidents of seizures of drugs recorded per prison in England and Wales has been since since March 2017.

Mr Sam Gyimah: The Ministry of Justice and Her Majesty's Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) takes seriously the ongoing challenges that substance misuse, including psychoactive substances (PS) pose to our establishments and we continue to implement a range of measures to address both the availability and use of such harmful substances. This is based on a multi-agency approach working closely with health partners and law enforcement agencies. The HMPPS Incident Reporting System shows that of the prisons in England and Wales that recorded having a drug seizure between March and October 2017, there was an average of 69 incidents of drug finds per prison during this period. Prisons have at their disposal a range of security measures to reduce the supply of drugs into prisons including physical searching, the use of x-ray machines, CCTV surveillance cameras, intelligence-led searches as well as drug detection dogs. HMPPS have trained more than 300 dogs to detect PS and these dogs are available to all prisons. HMPPS are also exploring additional innovative security measures and new technology to complement existing searching methods in prisons. The introduction of mandatory drug testing for psychoactive substances in prisons in September 2016 was also a significant step to support our prisons in tackling the supply and use of these lethal drugs. We are not aware of any other prison service in the world that has introduced these innovative new tests.

Offenders: Females

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice, of 5 December 2017, Official Report, column 882, on Female Offender Management, when he plans to publish the strategy for women and justice.

Dr Phillip Lee: We are committed to doing all we can to address the issues around female offending so we can better protect the public and deliver more effective rehabilitation. Considering how we can best address the needs of female offenders to improve outcomes for them, their families and their communities, is a complex issue that we want to get right. We are working hard to develop the Female Offender Strategy and we will publish in due course.

Divorce

Ian C. Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent representations he has received on introducing no-fault divorce.

Dominic Raab: The department receives correspondence and Parliamentary Questions on a range of family law issues, including no-fault divorce. We acknowledge the arguments and the strength of feeling on this issue.

Pupils: Attendance

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) fines for school attendance orders were issued by courts in England, and of that number how many were unpaid and (b) prison sentences there were for non-payment of school attendance orders, and of those numbers how many were for Gypsy and Traveller children in the last year for which figures are available.

Dominic Raab: There were 122 fines imposed in the Magistrates’ Courts for failure to comply with the requirements of a school attendance order during the financial year 2016-17, and 129 in the latest 12 month period for which data is available (July 2016 – June 2017). It is not possible to identify how many of these relate to Gypsy and Traveller children as HMCTS do not record this information. Information on the number of unpaid fines and the number of prison sentences for non-payment of school attendance orders could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Sentencing

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will review the 28-day time limit for referral of unduly lenient sentences.

Dominic Raab: The Government has no immediate plans to extend the 28-day time limit for a referral under the unduly lenient sentences scheme but is considering the wider operation of the scheme. The 28-day time limit reflects similar constraints on defendants appealing against conviction or sentence and avoids ongoing uncertainty for the offender and victims about the sentence to be served. The Attorney General has announced that he will pilot a procedure whereby any relevant sentence imposed where reporting restrictions apply - which could mean an individual would be unaware of the sentence imposed by the court until after the 28-day time limit had expired – will be considered by the Law Officers under the scheme.

Prisoners: Females

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of women on remand go on to receive a custodial sentence.

Dr Phillip Lee: In 2016, of those women who were remanded in custody at some point during proceedings at magistrates’ courts, just over 20% received a sentence of immediate custody. A further 35% of these women were sent for trial at the Crown Court and some of them will have received a sentence of immediate custody at the Crown Court. In 2016, of those women who were remanded in custody at some point during proceedings at the Crown Court, just under 57% received a sentence of immediate custody.

Wormwood Scrubs Prison: Ambulance Services

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average number of times is that ambulances have been called to HMP Wormwood Scrubs in each of the last five years.

Mr Sam Gyimah: The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Prison Officers

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much the Government has spent from the public purse on (a) hotels and (b) other expenses for officers on detached duty in each of the last five years.

Mr Sam Gyimah: We are unable to provide the data due to disproportionate costs involved with accessing the data.

National Probation Service: Labour Turnover

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many staff have left the National Probation Service due to (a) stress, (b) redundancies and (c) resignations in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Sam Gyimah: The number of National Probation Service Staff who left due to redundancies and resignations in the last three years can be found in table 11a of the latest HMPPS workforce statistics at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/659521/hr-publication-tables-sept-2017.xlsx We do not hold information on specific health reasons for leaving.

Prime Minister

British Irish Council

Layla Moran: To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to the Answer of 1 December 2017 to Question 115272, for what reason the date when a Prime Minister last attended a meeting of the British-Irish Council was not given in that Answer.

Mrs Theresa May: A list of Ministerial delegates at each Summit are included in the official communiques published following a Summit meeting. These can be found on the British-Irish Council website https://www.britishirishcouncil.org/publications.

Twitter

Anna Turley: To ask the Prime Minister, whether the @Number10gov twitter account has (a) received from and (b) sent any direct messages to the (i) @realDonaldTrump twitter account and (ii) any other account that might be reasonably assumed to have been under the control of the current President of the United States of America.

Mrs Theresa May: None.

Ministry of Defence

Armed Forces: Medical Records

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, Pursuant to the Answer of 30 November 2017 to Question 115323 on armed forces: medical records, which of the regulations and standards referred to in that answer have been amended since 2013.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: Since 2013, a number of textual amendments or annotations have been made to the following regulations, such as to reflect changes in related legislation:• Access to Medical Reports Act 1988• Human Rights Act 1998• Access to Health Records Act 1990• Computer Misuse Act 1990• Data Protection Act 1998• Health and Social Care (Safety and Quality) Act 2015Following a second review of information governance, the Caldicott Principles were revised in 2013. A seventh principle 'the duty to share information can be as important as the duty to protect patient confidentiality' was introduced.The General Medical Council - Confidentiality: Good Practice in Handling Patient Information (2017) updates guidance previously published in 2009.

Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, on how many occasions Ministers have flown on VIP-configured RAF Voyager aircraft in the last 12 months and to set out the destinations of those flights.

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, on how many occasions members of the royal family have flown on VIP-configured RAF Voyager aircraft in the last 12 months; and which destinations those flights visited.

Harriett Baldwin: The requested information is given below.   LocationDateVIPIndia5-9 November 2016Prime MinisterCyprus/Bahrain4-7 December 2016Prime MinisterUSA/Turkey25-29 January 2017Prime MinisterRomania/Austria/Italy29 March-8 April 2017HRH Prince of WalesItaly/Beijing13-15 May 2017ChancellorBelgium/Italy23-26 May 2017Prime MinisterGermany6-8 July 2017Prime MinisterJapan29 August-2 September 2017Prime MinisterCanada/USA16-21 September 2017Prime MinisterMalaysia29 October-9 November 2017HRH Prince of WalesJordan27-29 November 2017Prime Minister

Air Force: Training

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many RAF officers accepted on elementary flying training have (a) completed and (b) failed that course in each of the last five years.

Mark Lancaster: The information requested is given below;  Elementary Flying TrainingFinancial YearPassedFailed2012-132002013-1420~2014-1540~2015-166002016-1790~  In accordance with the Data Protection Act and our obligations in relation to the protection of confidentiality when handling personal data, data has been rounded to the nearest 10, “~” denotes a number less than 5.

Air Force: Training

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many RAF officers accepted on basic fast jet training have (a) completed and (b) failed that course in each of the last five years.

Mark Lancaster: The information requested is given below;Basic Fast Jet TrainingFinancial YearPassedFailed2012-131002013-141002014-1520~2015-162002016-1710~In accordance with the Data Protection Act and our obligations in relation to the protection of confidentiality when handling personal data, data has been rounded to the nearest 10, “~” denotes a number less than 5.

Air Force: Training

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many RAF officers accepted on to the multi-engine lead-In preparatory course have (a) completed and (b) failed that course in each of the last five years.

Mark Lancaster: The information requested is given below. Multi Engine Lead InFinancial YearPassedFailed2015-162002016-17200 In accordance with the Data Protection Act and our obligations in relation to the protection of confidentiality when handling personal data, data has been rounded to the nearest 10. Figures prior to Financial Year 2015-16 for the Multi Engine Lead in Course are not held.

Air Force: Training

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many RAF officers undertaking rotary-wing pilot training at the Defence Helicopter Flying School have (a) completed and (b) failed the basic stages of rotary-wing pilot training in each of the last five years.

Mark Lancaster: The information requested is given below; Single Engine Rotary WingFinancial YearPassedFailed2012-13002013-14~02014-152002015-162002016-17200In accordance with the Data Protection Act and our obligations in relation to the protection of confidentiality when handling personal data, data has been rounded to the nearest 10, “~” denotes a number less than 5.

Air Force: Staff

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many RAF (a) pilot navigator instructors, (b) navigator instructors, (c) helicopter navigator instructors, (d) helicopter crewman instructors, (e) air engineer instructors, (f) air electronics instructors and (g) weapons instructors there were in each of the last five years; and how many of each such instructor have left the armed forces in that period.

Mark Lancaster: Details of the number of RAF personnel who currently hold the relevant instructor qualifications (as at 6 December 2017) can be provided within the cost limit, and are:  Number of RAF personnelQualified Pilot Navigator Instructor40Qualified Navigator Instructor60Qualified Helicopter Navigator Instructor20Qualified Helicopter Crewman Instructor110Qualified Air Engineer Instructor~Electronic Warfare Instructor320Qualified Weapons Instructor300 Data has been rounded to the nearest 10, where "~" denotes a number less than or equal to 5. When rounding to the nearest 10, numbers ending in 5 have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to prevent systematic bias. Air Electronics instructor has been interpreted as Electronic Warfare instructor.

Armed Forces: Bereavement Counselling

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 1 December 2017 to Question 115326, how many members of the (a) VO and (b) BAS teams attended bereavement counselling courses after 2014; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: If a family requires bereavement counselling they are referred to the Army Welfare Service, who will access counselling support. The Visiting Officer and Bereavement and Aftercare Support team are not trained counsellors and cannot provide this level of specialised support, so they do not attend bereavement counselling courses.

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the UK has a sufficient number of pilots to operate its F-35 jets; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Lancaster: The Royal Air Force and Royal Navy have a sufficient number of trained pilots to operate F35 Lightning II. The first UK F35 pilot completed training in February 2013 and they continue to train ahead of 617 Squadron standing up in the summer 2018.

France: Military Alliances

Martin Docherty-Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he last had discussions with his French counterpart on the UK-French Joint Expeditionary Force.

Mark Lancaster: I discussed the development of the Combined Joint Expeditionary Force concept with my French counterpart, Mme. Florence Parly, when we met in London on 20 November 2017.

Type 45 Destroyers

Martin Docherty-Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Type 45 destroyers have had to be under tow since November 2016.

Harriett Baldwin: No Royal Navy Type 45 Destroyers have been under tow since November 2016, except for routine harbour navigation assistance.

HMS Diamond

Martin Docherty-Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reasons HMS Diamond aborted her most recent deployment.

Harriett Baldwin: HMS DIAMOND has returned to Portsmouth after she experienced technical issues en route to the Gulf.

Middle East: Peacekeeping Operations

Martin Docherty-Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which Royal Navy surface vessels have fulfilled Operation Kipion responsibilities since 2014.

Mark Lancaster: The Royal Navy vessels which have fulfilled Operation Kipion responsibilities are as follows: HMS ATHERSTONEHMS BANGORHMS BLYTHHMS CHIDDINGFOLDHMS DARINGHMS DAUNTLESSHMS DEFENDERHMS DUNCANHMS ECHOHMS ENTERPRISEHMS KENTHMS LEDBURYHMS MIDDLETONHMS MONMOUTHHMS MONTROSEHMS NORTHUMBERLANDHMS PENZANCEHMS PORTLANDHMS QUORNHMS RAMSEYHMS RICHMONDHMS SHOREHAMHMS SOMERSETHMS ST ALBANSHMS WESTMINSTER The Royal Fleet Auxiliary has also fulfilled Operation Kipion responsibilities. The ships involved were:RFA CARDIGAN BAYRFA DILIGENCERFA FORT AUSTINRFA FORT ROSALIERFA FORT VICTORIARFA LYME BAY

Ministry of Defence: ICT

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether electronic communications from hon. Members to Ministers of his Department are passed through any third parties before they reach their recipient.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: Electronic communications are passed across the internet via internet service providers. The routing of an email between a hon. Member and the Ministry of Defence (MOD) will pass through MOD networks.

MOD Hebrides

Angus Brendan MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 6 December 2017 to Question 117089, on MoD Hebrides Range, where the data referred to in his answer is held.

Harriett Baldwin: Data about visits to the Hebrides Range is held by external bodies.

Department for Work and Pensions

Personal Independence Payment: Midlothian

Danielle Rowley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what data his Department holds on the number of personal independence payment claimants in Midlothian who have been successful on appeal at tribunal in each of the last three years.

Sarah Newton: The following Table shows the number of PIP claimants in Midlothian who have been successful on appeal in each of the last 3 years. Successful appeals2014/2015102015/2016602016/201750 Data is taken from the DWP PIP computer system’s management information.

Universal Credit: Veterans

Danielle Rowley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of armed forces veterans medically retired by the Ministry of Defence have to undertake further assessments in order to claim universal credit.

Damian Hinds: DWP uses Service Medical Board evidence so a severely disabled person does not have to undergo additional examinations for Employment and Support Allowance and Universal Credit purposes.

Department for Work and Pensions: Bell Pottinger Group

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what representations any Minister of his Department has received from Bell Pottinger on behalf of (a) Atos IT Services UK Limited, (b) Centrica PLC, and (c) Ernst & Young.

Damian Hinds: No representations were received by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, or his Ministers from Bell Pottinger.

Jobcentres: Telephone Services

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent representations he has received on the effect on jobcentre staff of outsourcing jobcentre telephony work to Capita

Damian Hinds: No representations have been received. The delivery of the scripted New Claim service by Capita allows Jobcentre staff to focus on helping customers into work.

UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department has adopted (a) the recommendation in the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities’ report, published in October 2016, on undertaking a cumulative impact assessment of the measures adopted since 2010 on the rights to independent living and to be included in the community, social protection and employment of persons with disabilities and (b) other recommendations of that report.

Sarah Newton: DWP carefully considers the impact of individual policy changes, including the effect on individuals with protected characteristics in line with its legal obligations. We published a full response to all of the UN’s recommendations in 2016 and this is response was published and is publically available. http://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/treatybodyexternal/Download.aspx?symbolno=CRPD%2fC%2f17%2fR.3&Lang=en

Winter Fuel Payments

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of paying winter fuel allowance to recipients in more frequent instalments to assist people who have pre-paid for gas and electricity usage.

Guy Opperman: Winter Fuel Payments are made annually, and largely automated, to ensure that administrative costs are kept to acceptable levels across 12 million payments. Although we have made no assessment of this specific proposal, we know that each level of complexity in the system increases the costs of delivery. Recipients are free to use the payment in the best way for them.

Jobcentres: Training

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many work coaches have not yet received the training set out in the the Government's publication entitled Improving Lives: the Future of Work, Health and Disability, published on 30 November 2017.

Sarah Newton: Each work coach receives comprehensive and tailored training based on their individual knowledge and requirements.The training described in ‘Improving Lives: the Future of Work, Health and Disability’ can be separated into three distinct areas. Training for Health and Work conversations has currently been undertaken by around 14,500 Work Coaches and Team Leaders.The health route way forms part of the UC Full Service Work Coach training, and all work coaches working on Full Service will have undertaken this.It is our plan that 5,000 operational colleagues, including Work Coaches, will have undertaken the enhanced mental health training within 2017/18. A further 13,000 colleagues are planned to undertake this in 2018/19.

Jobcentres: Coventry

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he plans to visit the Cofa Court Jobcentre in Coventry in 2018.

Damian Hinds: There are currently no confirmed plans to visit Cofa Court Jobcentre in Coventry in 2018.

Housing Benefit: Refuges

Ms Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will keep short-term supported housing within the welfare system to allow women to pay for placements in domestic violence refuges using housing benefit.

Caroline Dinenage: The new short-term supported housing funding model, which is currently out for consultation, removes rental liability from Housing Benefit and Universal Credit claimants living in short term accommodation from 2020. Instead rent and eligible service charges will be directly funded by local authorities, through a ring-fenced grant. The current mechanism for funding support costs via local authorities will continue as now. This will help vulnerable people at a difficult point in their lives, including those living in domestic violence refuges, by removing rental liability.The consultation document was published on 31st October alongside the policy statement and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/funding-for-supported-housing. The consultation is open until the 23 January 2018.

Travellers: Children

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reasons his Department will not share the contact details of Traveller families with local education authority welfare officers to increase school attendance and ensure proper safeguarding of Traveller children.

Caroline Dinenage: Department for Work and Pensions officials are instructed to share personal data with local authorities where the welfare or safeguarding of vulnerable people including children is concerned, in accordance with the law. Officials will carefully consider departmental guidance and their duty of confidentiality to customers when responding to any request.

State Retirement Pensions: British Nationals Abroad

Chris Elmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, at what age female UK citizens living in (a) EU and (b) non-EU countries can claim their state pensions.

Chris Elmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether women can claim the state pension at a younger age if they live abroad.

Guy Opperman: A woman’s state pension age is not affected by where she is currently residing. The current timetable for State Pension age is available at the link below: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/310231/spa-timetable.pdf

Universal Credit: Glasgow North East

Mr Paul Sweeney: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to ensure that the roll-out of universal credit in Glasgow North East constituency will not result in an increase in child poverty.

Damian Hinds: Work is the best route out of poverty, and Universal Credit supports parents to move into and progress in work, and raises the income of families. Since 2010 the number of children growing up in households where no one works has fallen by half a million.

Universal Credit

Mr Paul Sweeney: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has assessed the effect on people who make weekly rent payments of receiving monthly payments under universal credit.

Damian Hinds: I refer the Member to the answer given on 12 December 2017 to PQ 7537.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Capital Investment

Holly Lynch: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Autumn budget, what his Department's capital budget will be for (a) 2018-19, (b) 2019-20 and (c) 2020-21, and how that spending will be allocated.

George Eustice: Following the announcements in the Autumn budget, the Department’s capital budgets and allocations are: £m2018/192019/202020/21Ring-fenced: Flood Defences450.4490.0459.0Ring-fenced: Official Development Assistance37.435.445.5Other166.2100.985.5Total654.0626.3590.0 Allocation of the ‘other’ amounts is confirmed on an annual basis. This mainly covers investment in our I.T systems to improve efficiency; renovating and developing our Estate to make it fit for purpose; and developing Kew’s facilities to preserve its status of world-leading botanic gardens. Defra’s total capital spend in each of these three years will be higher than in both 2010/11 (£548m) and 2015/16 (£493m).

Groceries Code Adjudicator

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when his Department expects to publish its response to its consultation on extending the remit of the Groceries Code Adjudicator which closed in January 2017.

George Eustice: We are working closely with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on our response to the Call for Evidence on the remit of the Groceries Code Adjudicator. This will be published in due course.

Agriculture: USA

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of a trade agreement with the United States on UK farming.

George Eustice: Defra and the Department for International Trade are conducting ongoing research and analysis into potential trade deals. Leaving the EU is a golden opportunity to secure bold and ambitious trade agreements that work for consumers, farmers, and businesses in the UK.

Ivory: Imports

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many import permits for ivory have been issued by the Animal and Plant Health Agency in each of the last five years; and what the ivory and import types were which were covered by those permits.

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many requests for the importation of ivory have been rejected in the last five years; and what the reasons were for refusing those requests.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: 01/01/2012 – 31/12/2012 Ivory TypeImport TypeNumber of permits issuedNo of applications rejectedRaw tusksHunting trophies70Personal use52Educational use20CarvingsCommercial use2676Personal use2810Exhibitions430Educational use00Ivory piecesEnforcement10  01/01/2013 – 31/12/2013 Ivory TypeImport TypeNumber of permits issuedNo of applications rejectedRaw tusksHunting trophies92Personal use10Educational use20CarvingsCommercial use3522Personal use259Exhibitions640Educational use00Ivory piecesEnforcement00  01/01/2014 – 31/12/2014 Ivory TypeImport TypeNumber of permits issuedNo of applications rejectedRaw tusksHunting trophies03Personal use02Educational use00CarvingsCommercial use2656Personal use152Exhibitions200Educational use00Ivory piecesEnforcement00   01/01/2015 – 31/12/2015 Ivory TypeImport TypeNumber of permits issuedNo of applications rejectedRaw tusksHunting trophies150Personal use02Educational use00CarvingsCommercial use671Personal use251Exhibitions120Educational use00Ivory piecesEnforcement00  01/01/2016 – 31/12/2016  Ivory TypeImport TypeNumber of permits issuedNo of applications rejectedRaw tusksHunting trophies50Personal use11Educational use00CarvingsCommercial use2072Personal use754Exhibitions240Educational use00Ivory piecesEnforcement00 01/01/2017 –05/12/2017 Ivory TypeImport TypeNumber of permits issuedNo of applications rejectedRaw tusksHunting trophies00Personal use00Educational use00CarvingsCommercial use480Personal use100Exhibitions00Educational use00Ivory piecesEnforcement00  This data is for confirmed import permits that covers the previous five calendar years including data this year up to 5th December.

Incinerators

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much waste the UK is currently capable of incinerating; and what estimate he has made of the waste incineration capacity that will be required in 2030.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The latest figures available for incineration capacity are from 2016 for England when there was a throughput of 9,630,000 tonnes. There is permitted capacity for 11,360,000 tonnes for municipal and/or commercial and industrial waste.Defra is currently looking at the overall capacity that may be needed to deal with England’s waste that remains after recycling and reuse, but this analysis is ongoing and does not specifically focus on waste incineration.Any assessment of future capacity needs will be further informed by our new Resources and Waste Strategy which is being developed.

Clothing: Marine Environment

Mrs Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect of washing synthetic clothing on to our oceans and marine life as set out in the 2017 report by the Ellen Macarthur Foundation on a new textiles economy: redesigning fashion's future.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: This report is consistent with growing evidence that microplastics reach the marine environment and come from many sources. We welcome the report as an important contribution to the debate on the issue.

Animals: Diseases

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the World Organisation for Animal Health's validation procedures for new technologies for animal diseases, what validation procedures have been introduced by his Department; and if he will make a statement.

George Eustice: The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) describes the validation process for tests in the Manual of Standards published on the OIE website. The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) hosts a large number of OIE Reference laboratories and disease scientists. APHA, working collaboratively with colleagues internationally, has contributed to the development and review of OIE standards and guidelines for test validation at the OIE international level. APHA has implemented a validation process for tests and applies the externally accredited quality standard ISO17025.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: ICT

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether electronic communications from hon. Members to Ministers in his Department are passed through any third parties before they reach their recipient.

George Eustice: Electronic communications are passed across the internet via internet service providers and the routing of an email between an Hon Member and a Government department is dependent on which system and service an email is sent on. Ministers’ Private Offices and correspondence teams routinely handle and respond to emails on behalf of their Ministers.

Government Departments: Pigmeat

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to increase procurement of pig products by Government institutions.

George Eustice: The Plan for Public Procurement: Food and Catering Services which was published in 2014 already provides UK food businesses with greater access to central government and wider public sector contracts.The Plan aims to simplify the public procurement process and open up the market to more SMEs and local producers. It provides a level playing field on which UK producers can compete for the opportunity to supply more of the produce currently supplied from other countries. It includes tools such as the balanced scorecard, to help contracting parties to balance a range of criteria beneficial to the consumer, the environment, and to producers. These criteria include embedding UK production standards, inclusion of SMEs, local and cultural engagement, encouraging seasonality of fresh produce and calling for menus which celebrate the provenance of the food. The balanced scorecard applies to all food and drink that the Government procures, including meat.The balanced scorecard approach is mandated for central government departments as existing contracts come up for renewal and it is also strongly encouraged for other public sector bodies.

Pigs

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with the National Farmers' Union on improving productivity in the pig sector after the UK leaves the EU.

George Eustice: Leaving the EU is a once in a lifetime opportunity to boost domestic productivity and increase competitiveness. We have regular discussions with the NFU and other stakeholders, including the National Pig Association on how we develop a future domestic agricultural policy that will improve productivity.

Pigmeat: Asia

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps to increase the export of pig products to Asia after the UK leaves the EU.

George Eustice: Supporting UK businesses to export more is a top priority for Defra. The UK pork and pork products trade with China is negotiated via bilateral agreements and this will continue to be the case after exiting the EU. Our pork trade with China was worth an estimated £72 million in 2016, a 73% increase on the previous year. Over the last few months we have secured agreement to the export of pork from seven new businesses across the UK, including from Northern Ireland for the first time. This included opening the market for the export of pork trotters from three sites, altogether worth an estimated £250 million over the first five years of trade. We will continue to work to increase access and support UK firms to maximise their opportunities for exports of pork to China.

Waste Disposal

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the amount of (a) food waste and (b) total bio-degrable waste that goes to (i) incineration and (ii) landfill in each of the last three years.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: Data for waste arisings and treatment are not structured specifically around material streams so we cannot provide detailed information on the destination of total food waste. Large tonnages of both incinerated and landfilled waste are reported as “mixed” waste categories, for which we do not currently have estimates of food waste content. Estimates of biodegradable municipal waste landfilled are published in the Defra UK Statistics on Waste publication, with the latest release containing data for 2010-2015. The estimated tonnages of biodegradable municipal waste landfilled in the UK in 2013, 2014 and 2015 were 9.3 million, 8.7 million and 7.7 million tonnes respectively. We do not publish data on the composition of municipal solid waste that is received at incineration. However, it is estimated that the amounts of biodegradable municipal waste incinerated in England in 2014, 2015 and 2016 were 3.8 million, 4.6 million and 5.6 million tonnes respectively.

Meat: Exports

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the level of WTO tariffs for (a) beef (b) poultry (c) sheep (d) pork exports from the UK after the UK leaves the EU.

George Eustice: The tariff rates applied to the commodities named vary considerably among WTO members and in relation to the specific product being traded. The tariff applicable to UK exports after the UK leaves the European Union will thus depend on the destination of those exports. Full information on WTO members’ tariffs is available on the tariff data pages of the WTO website.

Tree Planting

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of tree planting rates.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The Forestry Commission publishes progress against the 11 million trees target quarterly. Woodland created so far using CAP funding during the course of this Parliament (counted from April to September 2017 - the most recent assessment) equates to 692 hectares, or approximately 1,074,000 trees. Woodland created during the previous Parliament (2015 to 2017) amounted to 1,104 hectares, or approximately 1,502,000 trees. The government was concerned about planting rates in the previous Parliament and has taken action to stimulate additional planting. Forestry is a devolved matter and this answer refers to England only.

Waste Disposal: Licensing

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 5 December 2017 to Question 115795, if he will provide a breakdown of breaches of permits in each of the Environment Agency’s 14 operational areas in each of the last five years.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: This table shows the breaches of waste sites for all 14 Environment Agency areas for the last 5 years. Some areas have many more permitted facilities than others and will consequently have more breaches. This table shows the total number of breaches.  Environment Agency Area20122013201420152016Cambs and Bedfordshire482597994735772Cumbria and Lancashire303490943691407Derbys Notts and Leics69911531084673591Devon and Cornwall5697421017761714Essex Norfolk and Suffolk6027811035846910Gtr Mancs Mersey and Ches848119217141051994Herts and North London1050116213911120636Kent and South London886116815381141935Lincs and Northants70910951093600446Northumberland Durham and Tees48271312631089821Shrops Heref Worcs and Glos299407600524432Solent and South Downs329395485372444Staffs Warks and West Mids11661720177313021088Wessex497887957703512West Thames726676795718601Yorkshire14591862226818911361Total1110615040189501421711664

Flood Control: Lancashire

Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to prevent coastal flooding in Lancashire.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: Between April 2015 and March 2021, the Government plans to invest approximately £120 million on coast protection schemes in Lancashire. The Environment Agency is currently working in close partnership with a number of the Lancashire Coast Protection Authorities in delivering this ambitious capital investment programme to better protect 26,000 properties. This includes: Anchorsholme Coast Protection Scheme, which was completed in November 2017 at a cost of £27.1 million and will better protect 4,800 properties.Rossall Coast Protection Scheme, which is expected to be completed at a cost of £63 million by summer 2018 and will better protect 7,500 properties.Morecambe Wave Reflection Wall, which is expected to be completed at a cost of £10.5 million by winter 2018 and will better protect 11,400 properties.Fairhaven to Church Scar Coast Protection Scheme, which is expected to be completed at a cost of £19.8 million by spring 2020 and will better protect 2,300 properties. The Environment Agency, Coast Protection Authorities and third party owners also carry out ongoing routine annual revenue maintenance works for their respective assets. The Environment Agency also issues flood warnings to vulnerable communities on the coast when weather and tidal conditions have the potential to cause flooding.

Environment Agency: North West

Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many staff were employed by the Environment Agency in (a) Cumbria and (b) Lancashire in each year since 1 January 2012.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The table below provides details of Full time equivalent (FTE) employee numbers in the Cumbria and Lancashire Area of the Environment Agency for each financial year from 2011/12 to 2016/17. The Environment Agency does not maintain separate records of employees in Cumbria and employees in Lancashire as they operate as one combined Area.  YearPayroll employees   FTE31 March 201237331 March 201337731 March 201440431 March 201537031 March 201636531 March 2017389

Floods: Fylde

Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment the Environment Agency has made of the effect of new housing developments on the risk of flooding in Fylde constituency.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The local planning authority consults the Environment Agency on planning applications for developments located within Flood Zone 3, an area having a high probability of flooding. Developers of land in Flood Zone 3 must submit a Flood Risk Assessment (FRA) with their planning application. The Environment Agency reviews the FRAs, assessing the impact of the development on flood risk. FRAs are used to demonstrate that developments will not be at an unacceptable risk of flooding or increase flood risk elsewhere. If the FRA cannot demonstrate this, the Environment Agency will object to the planning application until a satisfactory FRA has been submitted. The final decision on whether or not to grant planning permission is made by the local planning authority.

Industry: Environment Protection

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to page 148 of the Industrial Strategy, when he plans to publish the new strategy for resources and waste.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The Resources and Waste Strategy will be published in 2018.

Lions: South Africa

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the sustainability of trophy hunting in South Africa for the local population of African lions.

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the sustainability of trophy hunting in Tanzania for the local population of African lions.

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect of trophy hunting on lion populations.

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect of trophy hunting on white rhinoceros populations.

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect of trophy hunting on black rhinoceros populations.

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect of trophy hunting on elephant populations.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: International trade in hunting trophies is controlled under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), which is implemented in the UK through EU Wildlife Trade Regulations. With respect to African lions, the Government commissioned a report on lion conservation from Professor David MacDonald with particular respect to the issue of trophy hunting. This report is available online at https://www.wildcru.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Report_on_lion_conservation.pdf. In addition, the JNCC participated in an EU mission to Tanzania in August 2016 to examine the governance and management of trophy hunting of African lions and elephants there. The report of the mission fed into considerations by the EU CITES Scientific Review Group (SRG) of the import into the EU from Tanzania of African lion and elephant trophy hunting imports. Imports of hunting trophies of African elephants from various countries have been assessed regularly at meetings of the SRG, most recently at their 79th meeting in June. The UK has been party to assessments of hunting trophy imports of white rhinoceros from South Africa at the SRG. The UK has not assessed imports of hunting trophies of black rhinoceros; there have been no recent applications for imports to the UK.

Hunting

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 14 June 2016 to Question 40644, on animal imports, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of steps taken to improve hunting practices.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: Trophy hunting was discussed at the 17th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) in Johannesburg last year. The Conference adopted a Resolution on trade in hunting trophies designed to improve the conservation of target species.At that same meeting, the UK led negotiations on behalf of the EU on African lions which saw a number of decisions adopted including undertaking a comparative study of lion population trends and conservation and management practices, such as lion hunting, within and between countries. The UK is a member of the African lion inter-sessional working group set up by the 69th CITES Standing Committee last month, whose work will include developing guidance on trade in, and conservation of, African lions.

Hunting

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has discussed monitoring the effectiveness of trophy hunting in promoting conservation with Cabinet colleagues.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: There is regular discussion at Cabinet level on international species conservation issues and the illegal wildlife trade, for instance regarding the current consultation on a ban of ivory sale in the UK.

Cuadrilla Resources: Fylde

Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many unannounced onsite inspections the Environment Agency has conducted at Cuadrilla Resources’ shale gas site at Preston New Road since July 2017.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: There have been two unannounced visits to Cuadrilla Resources’ shale gas site at Preston New Road since July 2017.

Cuadrilla Resources: Fylde

Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many onsite inspections the Environment Agency has conducted at Cuadrilla Resources’ shale gas site at Preston New Road since July 2017

Dr Thérèse Coffey: There have been ten visits to Cuadrilla Resources’ shale gas site at Preston New Road since July 2017.

Rivers: Sewage and Water Abstraction

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to tackle sewage pollution and over-abstraction in rivers.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: Pollution caused by sewage is mainly addressed through the implementation of the Urban Waste Water Treatment Regulations, which have set standards for the collection and treatment of sewage since 1994. Since privatisation, around £25 billion has been invested to reduce pollution from sewage, covering improvements in sewage treatment and in sewer overflows. In England, between 2015 and 2020 water companies are investing over £3 billion to improve their sewerage infrastructure, guided by the requirements of the Environment Agency. We have also indicated in the Strategic Policy Statement to Ofwat (the economic regulator), that as part of the Price Review 2019, we expect them to challenge companies to improve planning and investment to meet the wastewater needs of current and future customers, while protecting the environment. Since 2008, the Environment Agency has made changes to over 270 abstraction licences to prevent over 30 billion litres of water per year being removed from the environment. This is enough water to supply half a million people, with water for one year. The Government is updating its plan for managing abstraction and will publish it shortly.

Electricity Generation: Waste

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 28  November 2017 to Question 115103 on Electricity Generation: Waste, what steps he is taking to ensure that greater levels of biodegradable waste is disposed of through (a) composting and (b) anaerobic digestion.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: Organic waste collected by local councils increased by 3.1% to 3.8 million tonnes in 2016 from 3.7 million tonnes in 2015. Landfill tax continues to be the main driver for local councils to divert biodegradable waste from landfill and towards composting or anaerobic digestion. The number of local councils collecting garden waste continues to increase. In 2016–17, 317 local councils collected garden waste for composting. The Government encourages local councils to introduce separate food waste collections as contracts allow. Under the Framework for Greater Consistency, The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) and industry are working with local councils to collect the same set of core materials, including separate food waste. WRAP has carried out pilot projects to help local authorities collect efficiently and increase the amount of food waste collected and sent to anaerobic digestion. In addition, WRAP published an updated household food waste collections guide in 2016. Separate food waste collected for recycling increased by 15% in 2016 to 353 thousand tonnes from 307 thousand tonnes in 2015.

ClientEarth

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 29 June 2017 to Question 1033 on Nitrous Oxide: EU Law, how much the Government has spent on legal fees to defend litigation brought by ClientEarth in respect of air quality compliance.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: Defra released details of our legal costs since 2015 on 20 October in response to a Freedom of Information request, which can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/653544/RFI_9313__AQ_legalcosts_20102017.pdf. Costs prior to 2015 were around £74,000. A further challenge is ongoing and so further costs are likely to be incurred.

Angling: Lancashire

Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Environment Agency is taking to prevent illegal angling in Lancashire.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The Environment Agency’s Fisheries Operations Team uses an intelligence based approach as part of its enforcement plan to target fisheries for rod-licence enforcement. They target waters which have known high evasion rates and busy waters where lots of anglers will see officers enforcing rod-licence compliance. 1,535 rod-licences have been checked this year in Lancashire and 56 anglers have been reported for offences. The detected evasion rate is 3.52%. Officers regularly meet with the Police to discuss rod-licence and other fisheries offences, as well as providing training for their officers. They also work with the Angling Trust Voluntary Bailiffs to target rod-licence evasion and other fisheries offences, through provision of information to us. This year the Environment Agency worked in partnership with the Angling Trust and Lancashire and Cumbria Police on Operation Clampdown which targeted illegal close season fishing. The Environment Agency also checks for byelaw compliance to ensure that other elements are correct, such as fishing methods and close seasons. This year they were pleased to find only two offences during the coarse fish close season from 23 patrols undertaken.

Marine Protected Areas

Oliver Dowden: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps he has taken to protect marine environments in (a) the UK and (b) the UK Overseas Territories.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: Over 23% of UK waters are now protected within Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). Management for these includes 25 legacy byelaws, 15 new voluntary agreements, and over 30 new byelaws at varying stages of completion. This year, we have designated a further ten Special Protection Areas (SPAs) for birds and the marine habitats on which they depend. This brings the total number of SPAs with marine components in the UK to 106, providing protection for over 18,000 km2 of seabird habitat. The third tranche of Marine Conservation Zones aims to complete our contribution to the international ecologically coherent network in the north east Atlantic. The consultation is due to start in the first half of 2018 with designation taking place within 12 months of that date. We have tabled legislation to ban plastic microbeads in cosmetics and personal care products. Subject to parliamentary processes, the ban on manufacture will begin in January 2018, with a ban on sale from July 2018. The UK is on course to protect 4 million km2 of marine environment in the UK Overseas Territories by 2020 through the Blue Belt programme. In addition to the previously declared MPAs around the British Indian Ocean Territory, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, and within the British Antarctic Territory, since the commencement of the Blue Belt initiative the UK has also announced: a full no-take MPA around Pitcairn’s EEZ, established in 2016 (840,000 km2);a sustainable use MPA declared by St Helena in 2016 across its 445,000 km2 maritime area;that Ascension Island Government has agreed an evidence based, no-take MPA, covering at least half of its 445,000 km2 maritime zone by 2019; andthat Tristan da Cunha is developing a regime for protecting the waters across its maritime zone of 750,000 km2. The UK is working closely with the relevant Overseas Territories to ensure these protected areas are supported by robust scientific data, legislation and enforcement.

Fracking: Lancashire

Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment the Environment Agency has made of the level of compliance with relevant environmental restrictions by Cuadrilla Resources’ at its shale gas site at Preston New Road.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The Environment Agency assesses that to date Cuadrilla have been in general compliant with their permit conditions. The Environment Agency expects full compliance against Environmental Permits but it is not uncommon for industrial sites to have minor non compliances after site inspections and audits. The Environment Agency has raised concerns over the management of surface water on site and has asked the operator to address this as a matter of priority.

Meat: UK Trade with EU

Mr Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with (a) the Secretary for International Trade and (b) other parties on how to ensure favourable trade conditions for the import and export of meat and poultry products beyond the current quota system applied to non EU-countries if no deal has been agreed when the UK leaves the EU.

George Eustice: Ministers meet their counterparts in the Department for International Trade and other parties on a regular basis to discuss a range of issues in trade policy.

Meat: UK Trade with EU

Mr Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent representations his Department has received from companies that import meat from EU Member States on how to ensure that customs processes for meat imports are efficient to prevent spoiling and reduced shelf-life if no deal has been agreed when the UK leaves the EU.

George Eustice: DEFRA has received representations from companies and trade associations about this issue. We continue to work closely with these stakeholders. I discussed these issues with the International Meat Trade Association in November. The precise nature of our future relationship with the EU is still to be determined and is the subject of negotiation. The Government is working to get the best deal for Britain and through our new relationship with the EU are aiming to achieve the freest possible trade in goods and services between the UK and the EU.

Motor Vehicles: Exhaust Emissions

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Transport on reducing roadside emissions.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: Defra works closely with the Department for Transport in tackling the shared challenges of improving air quality and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This includes regular discussions at Ministerial and official level. Last year we established a Joint Air Quality Unit, staffed by members of both Departments, which is responsible for driving delivery of the UK plan for tackling roadside nitrogen dioxide concentrations.

Food: USA

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to his oral contribution of 7 December on Future Trade Agreements: Agriculture, if he will list the individuals and organisations to which he referred who believe a free trade agreement with President Trump's United States administration will be in the interests of the UK food industry.

George Eustice: We have spoken to a wide range of Defra stakeholders who support striking the right trade deals for the UK after we leave the EU. Developing the right deal with the US will benefit the UK food and drink industry. The US-UK Trade and Investment Working Group is seeking continuity on Day One of EU-Exit which is a process supported by stakeholders, the UK Government and the US Administration.

Government Departments: Food

Sir Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to increase procurement of British-farmed produce by Government Departments and agencies; and if he will make a statement?

George Eustice: The Plan for Public Procurement: Food and Catering Services, published in 2014, already provides UK food businesses with greater access to central Government and wider public sector contracts.The Plan aims to simplify the public procurement process and open up the market to more SMEs and local producers. It provides a level playing field on which UK producers can compete for the opportunity to supply more of the produce currently supplied from other countries. It includes tools such as the on-line marketplace which enables local and SME suppliers to evaluate and showcase their produce, and the balanced scorecard which helps contracting parties to balance a range of criteria beneficial to the consumer, the environment, and to producers. These criteria include embedding UK production standards, inclusion of SMEs, local and cultural engagement, encouraging seasonality of fresh produce and calling for menus which celebrate the provenance of the food. The balanced scorecard applies to all food and drink that the Government procures.The balanced scorecard approach is mandated for central government departments as existing contracts come up for renewal, and it is also strongly encouraged for other public sector bodies.

Home Office

Slavery

Carolyn Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many positive conclusive grounds decisions were made in relation to modern slavery and human trafficking in (a) 2016 and (b) 2017.

Carolyn Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many positive conclusive grounds decisions in relation to modern slavery and human trafficking were made in respect of UK nationals in (a) 2016 and (b) 2017.

Carolyn Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department,how many positive conclusive grounds decisions were made concerning nationals of EU members states other than the UK in (a) 2016 and (b) 2017.

Victoria Atkins: The table below shows the conclusive grounds decision outcomes for potential victims of modern slavery referred in to the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) in 2016 and between January and June 2017. The NRM is the process that identifies and supports victims of modern slavery. The decision outcomes data are correct as of 10 November 2017. Year of Referral Nationality of Potential Victim Positive CG Negative CG Pending CG Other Outcome (Suspended, Withdrawn, Negative RG, RG Pending)Total 2016UK28417916326 EU (non-UK)3627726145610 Other42953012057042868 Total1075624124086538042017 (Jan-Jun)UK117716518307 EU (non-UK)91168776270 Other636412004551782 Total2718714525492359  The Government has announced reforms to the NRM to improve the identification and support for victims of modern slavery. These reforms include the creation of a single, expert unit in the Home Office to handle all cases referred to the NRM and decision about whether someone is a victim of modern slavery. This will replace the current case management units in the National rime Agency and the UK Visa and Immigration and will be separate from the immigration system. In addition, a multi-agency panel will be set up to monitor and quality assure negative decisions.

Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether a Memorandum of Understanding or similar document is in place for the sharing of data obtained by the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority with her Department; and if she will make a statement.

Victoria Atkins: Section 19 of the Gangmasters Licensing Act 2004 makes provision for the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) to share information relating to gangmasters with any person for the purposes of, or for any purpose connected with the exercise of its functions under the Act.This power is also underpinned by operational protocols that have been developed between relevant departments and agencies.

Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have had their data shared by the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority with her Department for immigration enforcement purposes since that authority was established.

Victoria Atkins: Since the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (formerly the Gangmasters Licensing Authority) became operational in 2006, it has passed 653 intelligence reports to the Home Office relating to persons, businesses or general information where there may be an immigration interest.This information is only shared in relation to those suspected of committing a labour market offence and does not include details of victims.

Council of Europe Convention On Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence

Gavin Newlands: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the timetable is for the UK Government to ratify the Istanbul Convention.

Gavin Newlands: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Government's policy paper entitled Ratification of the Council of Europe convention on combating violence against women and domestic violence, published on 1 November 2017, what discussions she has had with the devolved administrations on extra-territorial jurisdiction in respect of that convention.

Gavin Newlands: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what meetings she had with Women’s Aid, IC Change and other women's organisations before publishing the Government's policy paper entitled Ratification of the Council of Europe convention on combating violence against women and domestic violence on 1 November 2017.

Victoria Atkins: The Government signed the Istanbul Convention to signal the UK’s strong commitment to tackling violence against women and girls (VAWG). As the recently published progress report sets out, in most respects the UK already complies with, or goes further than the Convention requires. We have significantly strengthened the legislative framework; introduced new protective tools; and issued a range of guidance and support for frontline professionals. We have always been clear on our commitment to ratifying the Convention. The Domestic Abuse Bill will be another step towards meeting that commitment by extending extraterritorial jurisdiction over offences required by the Convention which, for England and Wales, is the final legislative step necessary for ratification. We are committed to consulting widely as we develop the proposals for the draft Domestic Abuse Bill. We are keen to hear from experts, including charities, service providers and legal experts, to understand their views and ensure that the voices of domestic abuse victims and survivors are heard. This will take place shortly. As the criminal law and the majority of the areas covered by the Convention are devolved to Scotland and Northern Ireland, the Devolved Administrations are considering what legislative or other changes are necessary for compliance with the Convention in their territories. The Government liaises regularly with the Devolved Administrations on VAWG issues and we will continue working closely with the Scottish Government and Northern Ireland Executive to ensure we are taking a coordinated approach on this agenda. We are also in ongoing discussions with the voluntary and community sector on these issues, and in line with the requirement of section 2 of the Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence (Ratification of Convention) Act 2017, we will set out a timetable for ratification in due course.

Compulsorily Detained Mental Patients

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Home Department, whether her Department has made an assessment of the effect of closing custody suites on people with mental health problems.

Mr Nick Hurd: It is an operational decision for chief officers and Police and Crime Commissioners to determine how each force uses its available resources, including their estates. However, the Government has made clear that a police station is not a suitable environment in which to detain a person who has committed no offence but who is experiencing mental health problems.The use of police stations as places of safety in such circumstances has fallen significantly over recent years from 8667 in 2011/12 to a low of just over 1,000 occasions in 2016/17. Legislative changes, which came into effect on 11 December and which include a total ban on the use of police stations as places of safety for children and restrictions on their use in the case of adults, are expected to bring about further reductions.

Vehicle Number Plates: Fraud

Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many incidents of number plate fraud have been recorded in England and Wales each year since 2010.

Mr Nick Hurd: The Home Office does not hold the information requested. The Home Office collects recorded fraud data from the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau including fraud classified as NFIB90 which is ‘Other fraud (not covered elsewhere)’. Number plate frauds will be recorded in this category, but we cannot separate out these offences from the data we hold. The ONS publish recorded fraud data in the quarterly ‘Crime in England and Wales’ bulletin, which can be found in Table A5 of the Appendix Tables: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/datasets/crimeinenglandandwalesappendixtables

Police

Sir Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps to maintain police officer numbers in England in 2018-19; and if she will make a statement.

Mr Nick Hurd: The Government has protected police spending since 2015. Since then, Po-lice and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) have received broadly flat cash direct resource funding and we are increasing investment in transformation and improved communications and technology capabilities.We know that crime is changing, and we are sensitive to current pressures on policing. That is why I have undertaken a programme of engagement with the sector to understand the impact of changing demands, and to hear how the police are managing this. That includes what more can be done to improve productivity and efficiency, reduce bureaucracy, and make prudent use of financial reserves.Decisions about the allocation of police resources and deployment of officers are for Chief Constables and democratically accountable PCCs. They are responsible for ensuring the needs of the local community are met.

Theft: Mobile Phones

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of its campaign against mobile phone theft.

Victoria Atkins: The Government welcomes the findings published by the Office for National Statistics on 6 December 2017 which show that mobile phone theft is at its lowest level since first measured by the independent Crime Survey for England and Wales in 2005/06. https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/datasets/focusonpropertycrimeappendixtables

Immigration

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether people who moved to the UK before the Immigration Act 1971 came into force are considered to be illegal immigrants.

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance her Department has issued to people who have indefinite leave to remain under the Immigration Act 1971 on their citizenship status.

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance her Department has issued to people who have indefinite leave to remain under the Immigration Act 1971 who have lost their documentation.

Brandon Lewis: The Immigration Act 1971 came into effect on 1 January 1973. Under section 1(2) of that Act, a person who was ordinarily resident in the UK on 1 January 1973, is automatically deemed to have settled status (indefinite leave to remain) on that date unless they were either exempt from immigration control or already had the right of abode in the UK. A person will continue to hold settled status unless leave has been revoked or lapsed due to absence from the UK. A person who requires evidence of settled status or who loses their documentation, may apply for confirmation of this status by making a No Time Limit (NTL) application. NTL guidance is published on the Gov.uk website: https://www.gov.uk/transfer-visa/transfer-to-brp Information about how someone with indefinite leave to remain can become a British citizen is published on the Gov.UK website: https://www.gov.uk/becoming-a-british-citizen.

Immigration

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people who moved legally to the UK prior to the Immigration Act 1971 have received deportation notices in each of the last five years.

Brandon Lewis: Our current systems do not contain reportable data relating to when people entered the UK prior to the Immigration Act, 1971. Providing the information requested could only be done at disproportionate cost.

Asylum

Sir David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average time was for a final decision on an asylum application in each of the last five years.

Brandon Lewis: Information regarding Asylum data is published as part of the Government’s Transparency agenda the latest release of which can be found at can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/asylum-transparency-data-november-2017

Asylum: Sanitary Protection

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 4 December to Question 116362 on Asylum: Sanitary Protection, if he will make a specific fund available for for asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute to apply for an allowance to be able to pay for sanitary products.

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what representations her Department has received on the ability of asylum seekers to afford sanitary products.

Brandon Lewis: There are no plans to establish a specific fund to provide asylum seekers with an additional allowance to cover the costs of sanitary products. These costs are taken into account in setting the level of the weekly cash allowance provided to destitute asylum seekers to meet their essential living needs. The level of the cash allowance is reviewed each year and the review takes account of the cost of sanitary products. Evidence and submissions were invited from relevant external stakeholders to inform the most recent review. No representations about sanitary products were received.

Refugees: Children

Mike Hill: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, her Department is taking to reduce the number of dangerous journeys taken by unaccompanied child refugees with family in the UK.

Brandon Lewis: As per the answer of 15 November 2017 (112550), the Government strongly supports the principle of family unity, and we have a comprehensive framework in place for refugees and their families to be safely reunited in the UK without the need for dangerous journeys. Our family reunion policy allows children to join their refugee parents, and there are also specific provisions in the Immigration Rules that allow extended family members lawfully resident in the UK to sponsor unaccompanied children where there are serious and compelling circumstances. We have reunited over 24,000 partners and children with their families under our family reunion policy in the last five years. Further, those children recognised by UNHCR as refugees can join close family members in the UK through our Mandate resettlement scheme.

Immigration: Debts

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Home Secretary, how many people who had debt in excess of £500 were refused leave to remain in the UK in the last three years.

Brandon Lewis: We do not publish this specific data, however details of individuals granted Indefinite Leave to Remain in the United Kingdom as a whole can be found as part of published Migration Statistics: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release

Asylum: Scotland

Christine Jardine: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applicants living in Scotland have been (a) granted and (b) refused permission to submit their applications to the Further Submissions Unit via post and how many people have been employed at that unit in each of the last five years.

Brandon Lewis: The information requested on; number of applicants living in Scotland who have been granted and refused permission to submit their applications via post is not available in the format requested. The Home Office does not refuse or grant permission to submit further submissions. If an individual is eligible at the appointment booking stage, an in-person appointment will be offered.The information requested on the average number of people employed on the further submission unit in the last five years is not available in the format requested.

Home Office: Training

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 30 November 2017 to Question 116243, Home Office: Training, what process the Department uses to monitor the training record of caseworkers.

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 30 November 2017 to Question 116243, Home Office: Training, in what form the Department records information on the number of caseworkers who have completed Keeping Children Safe training.

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 30 November 2017 to Question 116243, Home Office: Training,  for what reasons her Department records that information in a format that is not (a) reportable and  (b) publishable.

Brandon Lewis: Training records are maintained locally, by line managers, and nationally by training co-ordinators. Whilst these records detail the numbers and names of those trained they are separate to records that detail staff movements and who is in post. Therefore it is not possible to report on the numbers of caseworkers in post who undertook this training without a detailed manual check of multiple records.

EU Nationals: British Nationality

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Office of National Statistics immigration statistics, published on 17 August 2017, what proportion of applications for British citizenship from EU Nationals from Q3 2016 to Q2 2017 have been (a) rejected and (b) granted; and what proportion of applications are (i) under appeal and (ii) still awaiting a decision.

Brandon Lewis: The published information on number of applications, grants and refusals of British citizenship for EU nationals is given in the table below.Citizenship applications, grants and refusals - EU nationalsQuarterApplications for British  citizenshipDecisions taken to grantDecisions taken to refuse or withdraw2016 Q34,1303,6372312016 Q45,1124,0424762017 Q19,5475,0464922017 Q29,7135,578395Source: Home Office, Migration Border Analysis.Immigration Statistics July to September 2017, Subset of table cz_01_q.Applications in a quarter may result in a decision in a later quarter.The data shown include outcomes of reconsideration processes. Information on the total number of citizenship cases awaiting a decision and performance against Service Standards is published in the Migration Transparency data at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/in-country-migration-data-november-2017.

Lead: Theft

James Cartlidge: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many incidents of lead theft from churches were reported in (a) Suffolk and (b) England in each of the last 12 months.

Mr Nick Hurd: The Office for National Statistics (ONS) publishes police recorded crime data on metal theft annually within their property crime tables. The latest figures, for the year ending March 2017, can be accessed here: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/datasets/focusonpropertycrimeappendixtables

Skilled Workers: Foreign Nationals

Ged Killen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing regional variations in the salary thresholds for tier two visas for skilled non-EU migrants.

Brandon Lewis: The Government is committed to developing an immigration system that serves the national interest and are clear that applying different immigration rules to different parts of the UK would complicate the immigration system, harm its integrity, and cause difficulties for employers who need the flexibility to deploy their staff to other parts of the UK.The Government commissioned the independent Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to undertake a comprehensive review of the Tier 2 route in June 2015.The MAC concluded and has repeatedly recommended that we should not operate different salary thresholds for different regions and countries in the UK. More information about the MAC and its report on Tier 2 can be found at:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/migration-advisory-committee-mac-review-tier-2-migration

UK Border Force: Recruitment

Jo Platt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 23 November 2017 to Question 114587, what the evidential basis is for her Department's conclusion that an additional 300 Border Force officers is adequate in preparation for when the UK leaves the EU.

Brandon Lewis: Recruitment of an additional 300 Border Force officers is underway. The Government has been clear that this additional resource will be dedicated to undertaking work to prepare for changes brought about by Brexit. Border Force is ensuring flexibility in recruitment plans to ensure the approach can be flexed and adapted as future requirements become clearer.

Intelligence Services

Damien Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her policy is on ensuring that British security services and crime agencies continue to share intelligence and work with their EU counterparts once the UK has left the EU.

Mr Ben  Wallace: The Prime Minister has been clear of the UK’s unconditional commitment to continued cooperation with the EU to preserve UK and European security, to fight terrorism and to uphold justice across Europe. As set out in the recent ‘Security, Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice – a future partnership paper’ published on 18 September, the UK has proposed a bold new strategic partnership with the EU that provides a comprehensive framework for our future security, law enforcement and criminal justice cooperation to deliver the capabilities our operational partners need to keep our people safe. Our EU cooperation is also part of a wider landscape of international counter terrorism work, which includes cooperation through relationships such as Interpol, the Five Eyes, and bilateral work with individual countries. The details of our future relationship with the EU, including cooperation through our agencies will be subject to negotiation. Public safety in the UK and the rest of Europe is a top priority and will be at the heart of this aspect of our negotiations.

Scotland Office

Scotland Office: Travel

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, with reference to the transparency document entitled Ministers: Quarterly Return April - June 2017, which tickets relating to which international journeys were (a) first, (b) business, (c) economy and (d) any other class; and what the cost of each such ticket was.

David Mundell: The breakdown of the ministers transparency return for the quarter April to June 2017 highlighting type of ticket and cost are shown below:2/4/17SingleGlasgowYangon£3,675.20Business Class4/4/17ReturnYangonNay Pyi Taw£264.36Domestic5/4/17SingleYangonSingapore£577.90Business Class7/4/17SingleSingaporeLondon Heathrow£3,949.52Business ClassTotal Cost£8,466.98

Seasonal Agricultural Workers' Scheme: Scotland

Ged Killen: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, if he will meet with the National Farmers Union Scotland to discuss a specific Agricultural Labour Scheme to meet labour shortages in the agricultural sector in Scotland.

David Mundell: I have regular discussions with the National Farmers Union Scotland on a range of matters of importance to the agriculture sector in Scotland. The precise nature of the UK’s seasonal labour needs, and how they might best be met post-EU exit, have yet to be determined. The Home Secretary has commissioned the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to undertake a detailed assessment of the impact of EU migration across all parts of the UK’s economy and society, and to gather evidence on patterns of EU migration ahead of our exit from the European Union. I do, of course, recognise that it is crucial that we secure a strong agricultural workforce as we develop a new approach to farming outside the EU, and I will continue to work closely with our food and farming industry in Scotland to consider their specific needs.

Agriculture: Scotland

Deidre Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the UK leaving the EU on the value of agricultural land in Scotland.

Deidre Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the UK leaving the EU on the value of the Scottish fishing fleet and its landings.

Deidre Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the UK leaving the EU on the value of international trade for Scotland's food and drink sector.

David Mundell: As part of our work preparing to make a success of our departure from the European Union we are carrying out a full suite of analysis as you would expect a responsible Government to do. This means looking at 58 sectors as well as cross-cutting regulatory, economic and social issues to help inform our negotiation positions. We have discussed sectoral and other economic analysis with the Scottish Government and the other devolved administrations frequently since the referendum, including at several rounds of JMC (EN) meetings. There has also been extensive engagement with the DAs outside of the JMC process – including meetings at both ministerial and official level. The Government’s Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health, Food and Drink Manufacturing and Fisheries sectoral reports set out a description of the sectors, the current EU regulatory regime, existing frameworks for how trade is facilitated between countries in these sectors and sector views. These reports have been made available for members of both Houses to read in a secure reading room.

HM Treasury

House Insurance

Dr David Drew: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the affordability of home insurance for older and vulnerable people.

Stephen Barclay: The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is responsible for regulating and supervising the financial services industry, including insurance firms. The FCA is actively investigating issues surrounding access to financial services and vulnerable customers, and is also undertaking a wider review of firms’ pricing practices. The FCA recently published its ‘approach to consumers’ consultation paper which includes a focus on understanding the needs of vulnerable people. The government awaits the finding of the FCA’s consultation. The government believes that it is important that consumers have access to suitable insurance products at the right price. We recognise that various factors – including age – can impact on availability, pricing and terms of insurance policies. As set out in the government’s response to the final report of the Lords Select Committee on Financial Exclusion in November 2017, we are setting up a new Financial Inclusion Policy Forum. This will help us to consider important issues on this subject, enabling ministers to take a strategic, cross-government approach on action to improve financial inclusion.

Small Businesses: Bank Services

Stephen Morgan: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to support small businesses whose local bank branches have just closed or are at risk of closure.

Stephen Barclay: The Government is committed to improving access to financial services. While the decision to close a branch remains a commercial judgement for banks, the impact on communities must be understood, considered and mitigated where possible. The industry’s Access to Banking Standard, launched in May 2017, commits banks to ensure personal and business customers are better informed about branch closures and the reasons for them closing, along with the options they have locally to continue to access banking services, including specialist assistance for customers who need more help. The Access to Banking Standard is monitored and enforced by the independent Lending Standards Board. 95% of banks’ business customers are now able to withdraw cash, deposit cash and cheques, and make balance enquiries at a Post Office counter via its network of 11,600 branches. At Budget, I wrote to the Post Office and UK Finance to ask them to raise public awareness of the banking services available at the Post Office for individuals and SMEs. Government will have provided nearly £2 billion during the period 2011 to 2018 to maintain and modernise the Post Office network.

Revenue and Customs: Security Guards

Stuart C. McDonald: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, for what reasons HMRC is seeking to outsource security at its offices rather than utilising a directly employed workforce.

Mel Stride: HMRC’s security arrangements are made up of a number of elements including an Access Control Service. Contractors already provide this service at the majority of HMRC sites with these arrangements. The engagement of a specialist security supplier at all sites will provide HMRC with a consistent, standardised and responsive Access Control Service that will safeguard people, information and assets through a readily available, industry standard trained, specialist security workforce. The flexibility of the service will also enable HMRC to meet future service standards effectively.

Revenue and Customs: Security Guards

Stuart C. McDonald: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has, with the full involvement HMRC workers and trade unions, to (a) refine the new access control service standard, (b) review pilot arrangements at Ruskin Square, Croydon, (c) complete a full equality impact assessment, (d) complete a full people impact assessment and (e) conduct health and safety risk impact assessments for the new access control service standard before any security posts are outsourced at HMRC offices.

Mel Stride: HMRC is committed to ongoing consultation over the following: Staff and Trade Union involvement in the further refinement of the Access Control Service Standard based on regular reviews and informed by experience, including lessons learnt from the pilot arrangements at Ruskin Square Croydon.Further consultation on the ongoing development of the Equality and People Impact Assessments and the Health and Safety risk impact assessments. HMRC is committed to working with its staff and Departmental Trade Unions to build a support package for the people impacted by the introduction of a revised Access Control Service.

Sovereign Grant

Andrew Bowie: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether any changes will be made to the Sovereign Grant due to the devolution of the Crown Estate in Scotland.

Andrew Jones: The UK government transferred management of Scottish Crown Estate assets to the Scottish Government in April 2017 – there will be no changes made to the Sovereign Grant as a result of this. The revenues from the Scottish assets are retained by the Scottish Government. The UK government has made a corresponding deduction to the Scottish Government’s block grant funding, equivalent to the revenues forgone from Scottish assets following the transfer. The Sovereign Grant is calculated with reference to The Crown Estate’s profits but it is paid from the Consolidated Fund, which all UK taxpayers contribute to.

Offshore Industry: Scotland

Andrew Bowie: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of transferable tax history for late-life oil and gas assets on employment in the north-east of Scotland.

Andrew Jones: At the Autumn Budget, the government announced it would introduce a Transferable Tax History for oil & gas companies. This will give investors in UK oil and gas fields certainty that they will be able to get tax relief for decommissioning assets. This should encourage new investment in older oil and gas fields, keeping them producing for longer and supporting employment. This builds on the £2.3bn of fiscal support the government has already provided to the UK oil and gas industry, including a package of tax cuts across Budget 2015 and 2016, £40m of funding for seismic surveys to support exploration, and the introduction of a new Investment Allowance. As a result, the UK now has one of the most competitive tax regimes in the world for oil and gas, further supporting investment and jobs.

Bank Services: Cancer

Ronnie Cowan: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions his Department has had with the Financial Conduct Authority about the introduction of a duty of care for the banking sector to support people with cancer.

Stephen Barclay: The government believes that the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), as the UK’s independent conduct regulator for the financial services industry, is best placed to evaluate the merits of a duty of care for financial services providers. We therefore welcome the FCA’s commitment to publish a Discussion Paper on the subject, which the FCA plans to publish after the UK’s withdrawal from the EU.

WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control

Martyn Day: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when the Government plans to introduce legislative proposals to ratify the World Health Organisation's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Illicit Trade Protocol.

Andrew Jones: A Command Paper setting out the UK’s plans to ratify the World Health Organisation Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products will be laid before Parliament once legislation to implement the Protocol has been approved by Parliament. While the UK already has many of the Protocol’s requirements in place, the requirement to license tobacco manufacturing machinery has not yet been implemented. Legislation to accomplish this was included in Autumn Finance Bill, which received Royal Assent on 16 November 2017. A technical consultation on draft regulations required to implement the licensing scheme closed on 5 December. Final regulations are being prepared and are expected to be laid before Parliament in the New Year.

Soft Drinks: Taxation

Chris Ruane: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what progress the Government is making on implementing the Soft Drinks Industry Levy.

Andrew Jones: Following public consultation in 2016, primary legislation for the Soft Drinks Industry Levy was passed earlier this year as part of the Finance Act 2017. In October 2017 the government launched an 8 week public technical consultation on the secondary regulations, which closed on 8 December 2017. The secondary regulations will be laid early in the New Year, ahead of the levy coming into force, as planned, in April 2018.

Financial Services

Dr David Drew: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what progress is being made by the Financial Conduct Authority on developing a definition of duty of care for financial services providers; and what plans the Government has to bring forward legislation to protect those with (a) mental health issues and (b) cancer from pressures from financial services providers.

Stephen Barclay: The government believes that the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), as the UK’s independent conduct regulator for the financial services industry, is best placed to evaluate the merits of a duty of care for financial services providers. We therefore welcome the FCA’s commitment to publish a Discussion Paper on the subject, which the FCA plans to publish after the UK’s withdrawal from the EU. UK banks’ and building societies’ treatment of their customers is already governed by the FCA in its Principles for Businesses. This includes a general requirement for firms to provide a prompt, efficient and fair service to all of their customers. The FCA’s Handbook also requires firms to identify particularly vulnerable customers, and to deal with such customers appropriately. In addition, like all service providers, banks and building societies are bound under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments, where necessary, in the way they deliver their services.

Treasury: ICT

Justin Madders: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether electronic communications from hon. Members to Minister for his Department are passed through any third parties before they reach their recipient.

Andrew Jones: Electronic communications are passed across the internet via internet service providers and the routing of an email between an Hon Member and a Government department is dependent on which system and service an email is sent.Ministers’ Private Offices and correspondence teams routinely handle and respond to emails on behalf of their Ministers.

Treasury: Pay

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many and what proportion of Treasury employees are paid through trusts rather than through PAYE.

Andrew Jones: No HM Treasury employees are paid through trusts rather than through PAYE.

Research and Development Expenditure Credit

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to page 69 of the Industrial Strategy, when he plans to introduce an advanced clearance service for R&D expenditure credit claims.

Mel Stride: As announced at Autumn Budget and in the Industrial Strategy, the government will introduce an Advanced Clearance Service for R&D Expenditure Credit claims. The Advanced Clearance Service will be introduced following a pilot program with selected businesses. The pilot will start shortly.

Research and Development Expenditure Credit

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to page 69 of Industrial Strategy: Building a Britain fit for the future, when the Government plans to launch the campaign to raise awareness of R&D tax credits.

Mel Stride: As announced at Autumn Budget and in the Industrial Strategy the government will work with small and medium sized businesses, and those developing new and emerging technologies, to ensure that they can access the maximum amount of support from R&D tax credits, and will launch a campaign to raise awareness in these sectors. We will work with stakeholders and across government to develop and deliver this campaign by April 2018.

Financial Ombudsman Service

Rehman Chishti: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of increasing the time limit for complaints to be referred to the Financial Ombudsman Service from 6 months to 12 months in line with other ombudsman services.

Stephen Barclay: The time limits for complaints to be referred to the Financial Ombudsman Service are a matter for the Financial Conduct Authority. The current rules require the consumer to submit their complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service within six months of receiving a final response from the firm. However, complaints can still be referred to the ombudsman service more than six months after receiving a final response with the consent of the firm. The time limit for referring a complaint to the ombudsman service, where the firm does not issue a final response, is six years from the date of the event, or (if later) three years from the date the consumer knew, or could reasonably have known, they had cause to complain.

Financial Conduct Authority: Ministerial Duties

Liam Byrne: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, which Minister of his Department has responsibility for the Financial Conduct Authority.

Stephen Barclay: The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the government’s chief financial Minister. The Economic Secretary to the Treasury is the Minister responsible for financial services regulation, including HM Treasury’s relationship with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The Financial Conduct Authority is an independent non-governmental body responsible for regulating and supervising the financial services industry. Although the Treasury sets the legal framework for the regulation of financial services, it has strictly limited powers in relation to the FCA. In particular, the Treasury has no general power of direction over the FCA and cannot intervene in individual cases. More information on the roles of HM Treasury ministers can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/hm-treasury.

EU Grants and Loans

Layla Moran: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to replace European Investment Bank and European Investment Fund lending in the event that the UK leaves the EU.

Elizabeth Truss: The European Investment Bank, and its offshoot, the European Investment Fund, provide financing for infrastructure investment and growth businesses. As set out in the joint report on progress during phase 1 of the negotiations, the government considers that there could be mutual benefit from a continuing arrangement between the UK and the EIB, and wishes to explore these possible arrangements in the second phase of the negotiations. The government has also taken steps to ensure that finance continues to be available for good infrastructure projects and growth businesses: the UK Guarantees Scheme, which gives government support for private infrastructure finance, has been broadened to offer construction guarantees, and at Budget the Chancellor launched a 10-year action plan.

Small Businesses: Credit

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what information his Department holds on whether the UK’s Credit Reference Agencies have sent all the required demand letters to the banks requesting small business credit information.

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential benefit to (a) small businesses seeking access to finance and (b) the alternative finance industry of implementing the Commercial Credit Data sharing scheme.

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what his Department’s timetable is for the implementation of the Commercial Credit Data Sharing scheme.

Stephen Barclay: The Government’s SME credit data sharing scheme will make it easier for challenger banks and alternative finance providers to check the creditworthiness of businesses, which will improve the chances of them being able to provide finance to SMEs. Each of the banks designated by the Government has received a formal letter from at least one of the designated credit reference agencies to request the data that banks are required to share under the scheme. All nine designated banks will therefore be sharing data by the end of the year. The Treasury’s assessment of the impact of the scheme was published alongside the relevant legislation: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukia/2015/273/pdfs/ukia_20150273_en.pdf The regulations include a requirement for the Treasury to review the scheme, and the Competition and Markets Authority’s final report under the Retail banking market investigation recommended that the Treasury review the scheme in summer 2018.

Plastics: Fees and Charges

Angela Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the timetable is for proposed charges on single-use plastic items to come into effect; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Jones: At the Budget, the Chancellor announced his intention to launch a call for evidence on whether the tax system or charges can be used to reduce the amount of single-use plastic we waste. Once we have analysed the responses to this call for evidence, the government will outline how we intend to proceed.

Credit

Paul Blomfield: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that consumers are protected from unsolicited increases in credit limits.

Stephen Barclay: The regulation of consumer credit is a matter for the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The FCA has carried out an extensive credit card market study which identified concerns about persistent credit card debt. The FCA’s proposed measures to tackle persistent debt include an industry agreement to restrict unsolicited credit limit increases

Tax Evasion

Tulip Siddiq: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to his Department’s press release of 10 April 2016, entitled UK launches cross-government taskforce on the Panama Papers, whether HM Revenue and Customs has taken receipt of the Panama Papers.

Mel Stride: HMRC has analysed all of the material that has been made publicly available, and continues to work with partners in the UK, and overseas, on tackling offshore evasion activity.The work of the Panama Papers Taskforce has led to civil and criminal investigations into 66 individuals for suspected tax evasion, including high net worth individuals. As part of this HMRC has made four arrests; and carried out six interviews under caution.

Treasury: Brexit

Stephen Timms: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what quantitative assessments his department has made of the effect of the UK leaving the EU on the sectors for which his Department is responsible.

Stephen Barclay: As the Chancellor made clear in front of the Treasury Select Committee on Wednesday 6 December, the department has undertaken a variety of analysis and continues to do. The Treasury has modelled and analysed the impact of a wide range of potential alternative structures between the EU and the UK. This analysis is ongoing and continues to inform our negotiation position with the EU.

Employment: Disability

Caroline Lucas: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to his oral evidence to the Treasury Committee of 6 December 2017, what the evidential basis is for the correlation between increased participation in the workforce by disabled people and overall productivity measurements; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Jones: The Chancellor is extremely proud of our record of helping over 600,000 disabled people into employment over the last four years. At the Treasury Committee, he made a broader point about workforce productivity – where research by the OBR, IFS and others suggest there may be a relationship between overall employment rates across the population and average productivity - whilst being clear about the benefits to the whole economy from having more people in work.

Life Sciences: Capital Investment

Chi Onwurah: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to page 12 of the life sciences sector deal, what steps he plans to take to ensure that the £20 million of planned patient capital investment in the life sciences sector will provide benefits for the (a) public finances and (b) NHS.

Andrew Jones: At Budget, the Government announced the outcome of the Patient Capital Review, setting out an action plan to unlock £20 billion of new investment to finance growth in innovative firms. The Government will set-up a new £2.5 billion subsidiary of the British Business Bank, expand tax-relief schemes and remove regulatory barriers to encourage long-term investment from pension funds. The subsidiary of the British Business Bank will operate on a commercial basis and will be set up with the intention to float or sell it once it has a sufficient track record. This action plan will benefit a range of sectors including the life sciences sector to commercialize research, develop new technologies and support other forms of innovation. As announced on 6 December, the Government and the life sciences sector have agreed a transformative billion-pound Sector Deal worth close to £2.5bn of investment in innovative new treatments and medical technologies that will improve patient lives and drive economic growth in the UK. The Deal commits an expected £1.5bn from private and charitable sectors. The Life Sciences Sector Deal Implementation Board will agree implementation plans for each section of the Deal including agreed success metrics. The NHS will be represented on that board.

Royal Bank of Scotland: Small Businesses

Bill Esterson: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the accuracy of reports that the minutes of the Financial Conduct Authority state that it could face legal action if it published the full section 166 report into RBS' treatment of SMEs.

Stephen Barclay: The handling of the section 166 Report into Royal Bank of Scotland’s treatment of SME customers transferred to GRG is a matter for the Financial Conduct Authority. The FCA has stated that conducting section 166 reports on the basis that they will not be published supports their effective use as an important supervisory tool. The FCA has published a detailed summary of the main findings from the skilled persons report. The FCA announced it is investigating the matters arising from the report and focussing on whether there is any basis for it to take further action. It would not be appropriate for the government to comment further whilst this process is ongoing.

Children: Day Care

Steve McCabe: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will retain Childcare Vouchers alongside the Tax-Free Childcare rollout.

Elizabeth Truss: I refer the Hon Member to the answer that I gave on 06 December to the Hon Member for Glasgow East (116199).

Cabinet Office

Think Tanks

Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what (a) financial, (b) organisational and (c) other support the Government has given to which think-tanks in the last five years.

Caroline Nokes: The information requested is not held centrally.

Blood: Contamination

Layla Moran: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, for what reasons the Government has not yet appointed a chair for the contaminated blood inquiry.

Damian Green: I refer the Honourable Member to my Written Ministerial Statement of 3 November, in which I commit to making a further statement on the running of the inquiry before the end of this year.

Cystic Fibrosis

Sir Michael Fallon: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis under the age of 35 died in England in (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11, (c) 2011-12, (d) 2012-13, (d) 2013-14, (e) 2014-15, (f) 2015-16 and (g) 2016-17.

Chris Skidmore: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.



UKSA response
(PDF Document, 120.7 KB)

Cabinet Office: Pay

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for the Cabinet Office, how many and what proportion of Cabinet Office employees are paid through trusts rather than through PAYE.

Caroline Nokes: No Cabinet Office employees are paid through trusts rather than through PAYE.

Small Businesses: Employment

Priti Patel: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many and what proportion of people in (a) Witham constituency and (b) the UK were employed by small and medium-sized enterprises in each year since 2007.

Chris Skidmore: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.



UKSA response
(PDF Document, 108.89 KB)

Civil Servants: Nationality

Tom Brake: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of possible changes required to the Civil Service nationality rules to address the provisions relating to freedom of movement after the UK has left the EU.

Caroline Nokes: The Civil Service Nationality Rules are specific to the Civil Service and govern the eligibility of individuals to be employed in the Civil Service on the grounds of their nationality. These rules are distinct from rules governing immigration status, i.e. the right to live/work in the UK, which all employers must comply with. The Civil Service Nationality Rules reflect a range of legislation, including The Act of Settlement 1700, The Aliens Restriction (Amendment) Act 1919, the Aliens’ Employment Act 1955, The British Nationality Act 1981 and European law. The Cabinet Office is working closely with the Home Office and DExEU to ensure that these rules continue to be operable as broader legislative decisions are made in preparation for the UK leaving the EU.

Civil Servants: EU Nationals

Tom Brake: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he has made an assessment of the civil service functions across central government that have the highest reliance on non-UK EU nationals; and if he will make a statement.

Tom Brake: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he has made an estimate of the number non-UK EU nationals employed by each Government Department as a (a) civil servant and (b) contractor.

Caroline Nokes: The Civil Service does not routinely collect information on the nationality of civil servants. The information requested is not held centrally.

Public Sector: Procurement

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to page 134 of the Industrial Strategy, what plans he has to improve procurement tools to make public sector contracts more accessible for SMEs.

Caroline Nokes: We are continuing to improve the performance and functionality of the Contracts Finder web site, which allows users to view and search opportunities that are currently open to tender, pipelines of potential procurement activity and awarded contracts. Contracts Finder has recently been enhanced to deliver improved search for suppliers, a better experience for buyers and accessibility improvements for all users. New supply chain functionality and registration processes have been added to improve visibility of opportunities available to SMEs in the supply chain. In addition, organisation identifiers for suppliers and buyers have been added to improve our Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) implementation. Further enhancements will be developed and deployed by March. In addition, the Crown Commercial Service will improve its digital procurement platforms to make it easier for suppliers to do business with the government, for example through implementation of the Crown Marketplace purchasing platform.

Cybercrime

Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many incidents relating to cyber attacks have been dealt with by GCHQ in each of the last 12 months.

Caroline Nokes: The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), a part of GCHQ, was established in 2016 and coordinates the government’s response to significant cyber incidents. In its first Annual Review, published in October 2017, the NCSC reported it had dealt with 590 significant cyber investigations in its first 12 months of operation.

Government Departments: Security

Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he plans to introduce guidelines to ensure that reporting of security breaches to the Cabinet Office is consistent across all Departments.

Caroline Nokes: The Cabinet Office is developing Security Incident Management Standards. These define the minimum measures that Departments must implement with regards to managing security incidents and breaches. This will drive consistency across all Departments in how security incidents and breaches are reported and managed. These Standards will be issued to departments in early 2018. The HMG Security Policy Framework already requires Departments to notify Cabinet Office of significant security breaches.

Government Departments: Data Protection

Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many data incidents in central Government departments were (a) recorded and (b) reported to the Information Commissioner's Office in (i) 2015-16 and (ii) 2016-2017.

Caroline Nokes: The number of data incidents recorded and reported to the Information Commissioners’ Office in central Government Departments is held by those organisations and published in their Annual Reports. It is for the individual central Government Departments to provide this information.

Official Secrets

Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many assets are classified at which level of risk by the Government Security Classifications system.

Caroline Nokes: Departments assess their information assets against the Government Security Classification Policy and classify them appropriately. The number of assets and their classification constantly changes in a dynamic way and there is no requirement for assets to be recorded on this basis either departmentally or centrally. However, departments do risk assess their most sensitive information (which can be held at all security classifications).

Cabinet Office: Labour Turnover

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many members of staff have left his Department since 1 January 2015; and how many of those members of staff were nationals of non-UK EU countries.

Caroline Nokes: I can confirm that since 1 January 2015, 2,115 staff have left my Department (of which 59% was inter-Civil Service movement). The Civil Service does not routinely collect information on the nationality of civil servants. The information requested is not held.

Anti-corruption Champion

Helen Goodman: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when he plans to appoint an anti-corruption champion.

Chris Skidmore: Holding answer received on 11 December 2017



The government announced yesterday that John Penrose MP will be the Prime Minister's new Anti-Corruption Champion.

National Security

Luke Pollard: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when he expects the review of the National Security Strategy to be published.

Damian Green: The review of our national security capabilities is currently taking place in support of the ongoing implementation of the 2015 National Security Strategy (NSS) and Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR). Ministers will consider the conclusions of the review in due course.

Complex Transactions Team

Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many full-time equivalent staff there are in his Department's Complex Transactions Team.

Caroline Nokes: As of 1 December 2017, the Complex Transactions Team comprises 31.89 full-time equivalent staff, of which 26.89 are permanent staff and 5 are interim staff.

Department for International Trade

Overseas Trade: Burma

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what advice the Government gives to UK companies that are considering or that are currently engaged in joint ventures or other forms of business with military-owned or controlled companies in Burma.

Mark Garnier: The Department for International Trade (DIT) helps businesses export, drives investment, opens up markets and champions free trade. DIT’s team in Burma play an active role in supporting UK businesses looking to do business with Burma.We offer advice and support on working with local partners and encourage all British companies to undertake appropriate due diligence on any partnerships. We also ensure that companies are aware of UK legislation including the UK Bribery Act (2010) and any remaining sanctions in relation to doing business with Burma.The Department for International Trade continues to support trade with Burma as an important part of driving mutual prosperity, creating jobs and driving economic growth, which the UK Government believes will be crucial to securing the country's political transition.

Whales: Iceland

Kevin Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if he will make it his policy to seek the cessation of Icelandic whaling as part of any future trade negotiations with Iceland.

Greg Hands: The UK has long supported the promotion of our values globally and this will continue as we leave the EU. The UK government’s position on the hunting of cetaceans is clear; we remain strongly opposed to it and strongly support the global moratorium on commercial whaling. We have committed publically on a number of occasions to raising the UK’s opposition to whaling with the relevant nations at every appropriate opportunity. We are exploring all options in the design of future bilateral trade and investment agreements and we want to ensure economic growth and environmental protection go hand-in-hand.

Trade Remedies Authority

Gareth Snell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if his Department will bring forward draft (a) legislative proposals or (b) policy papers on how the Trade Remedies Authority will construct normal value in dumping investigations in cases where domestic prices are inappropriate before further consideration by the House of the Taxation (Cross-border Trade) Bill.

Gareth Snell: To the Secretary of State for International Trade, if his Department will bring forward draft (a) legislative proposals and (b) policy papers on how the Trade Remedies Authority will calculate injury in trade remedy investigations before further consideration by the House of the Taxation (Cross-border Trade) Bill.

Greg Hands: Work is currently underway to develop the appropriate methodology for constructing normal value in dumping investigations in cases where domestic prices are inappropriate. Work is also underway examining the options for calculating injury.We expect this process to take some months, but we will discuss our thinking with interested parties as it develops and will continue to engage with a range of stakeholders on the detail of trade remedies policy as we have done since the summer.

Trade

Gareth Snell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether the ordinary duration of trade remedy measures will be five years; and if he will make a statement.

Greg Hands: Under the WTO Anti-Dumping and Anti-Subsidy Agreements, trade remedy measures can only remain in force for as long as is necessary to counteract the dumping or subsidy which is causing injury. There is no ordinary duration for measures to be in force. The maximum period measures can remain in force is five years.

Department for International Trade: ICT

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether electronic communications from hon. Members to Ministers in his Department are passed through any third parties before they reach their recipient.

Greg Hands: Electronic communications are passed across the internet via internet service providers and the routing of an email between an Hon Member and a Government department is dependent on which system and service an email is sent. Ministers’ Private Offices and correspondence teams routinely handle and respond to emails on behalf of their Ministers.

World Expo: United Arab Emirates

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps his Department is taking to promote participation by UK businesses in EXPO 2020 in Dubai; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Garnier: Expo 2020 Dubai offers the UK a major opportunity to strengthen international trade relations and promote Global Britain, as Dubai prepares to welcome 180 nations and the world’s top business leaders and investors.The Department for International Trade is leading on the UK’s presence at Expo 2020 and helping British companies secure major contracts as part of our High Value Campaigns. UK companies have won more Expo business than any other country with the exception of the host nation. Total contract value of awards to British companies to date stands around £1bn.The UK will have a presence at Expo 2020 and there will be an accompanying business and cultural programme to promote the UK as a world class destination for business, education and tourism supported by a promotional campaign across the UK.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Tourism: Aberdeenshire

Andrew Bowie: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate her Department has made of the value of tourism generated in Aberdeenshire by the Royal Family.

John Glen: According to the VisitScotland Visitor Survey 2015-16, 16% of tourists surveyed, domestic and international, visited the Aberdeenshire area and 13% stayed overnight in the area. In addition, tourism directly employed over 8,000 people in the Aberdeenshire area in 2015 and contributed £166m in GVA to the local economy in 2014. Data is not collected about the Royal Family’s individual impact on a destinations’ statistics.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Brexit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what quantitative assessments her Department has made of the effect of the UK leaving the EU on the sectors for which her Department is responsible.

John Glen: The Government is undertaking a comprehensive programme of analytical work that will contribute to our exit negotiations, help to define our future partnership with the EU, and inform our understanding of how EU exit will affect the UK’s domestic policies and frameworks. We are examining all areas of the UK economy from a number of perspectives and seeking input from a wide range of stakeholders. Our analysis is constantly evolving and being updated based on our discussions with industry and our negotiations with the EU.

Heritage Lottery Fund

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the (a) financial effect and (b) social effect on the UK Heritage sector of the Heritage Lottery Fund's changes to its grant-making scheme, announced on 1 December 2017.

John Glen: I met with the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to discuss their financial strategy prior to their announcement, in order to understand where the impacts are most likely to be felt, and to assure myself that their strategy minimises the impact of the changes as far as possible. The HLF have undertaken to monitor any impact that the transitional arrangements might have and take steps to address ​where possible​.

Heritage Lottery Fund

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions (a) Ministers and (b) Officials  of her Department have had with Camelot on the Heritage Lottery Fund's changes to its grant-making scheme, announced on 1 December 2017; and if she will make a statement

Tracey Crouch: Ministers and officials meets regularly with Camelot as operator of The National Lottery. This includes discussions on the overall level of returns to good causes. Camelot is responsible for operating The National Lottery. It has no role in the distribution of good cause returns. National Lottery good cause money is distributed by expert bodies at arm’s length from Government. The Heritage Lottery Fund is one such body, and is entitled to 20% of the total returns to good causes generated by The National Lottery. The department has not had any discussions with Camelot regarding the Heritage Lottery Fund's changes to its grant making scheme.

Heritage Lottery Fund

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if she will provide a list of the representatives of the UK heritage sector with whom she discussed the Heritage Lottery Fund's changes to its grant-making scheme, announced on 1 December 2017.

Matt Hancock: The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) lead on discussions with the sector on the announced changes. However, we speak with representatives from across the sector at meetings and events on an ongoing basis, including Heritage Day on 5 December which was attended by over 150 people from across the sector and at which the CEO of HLF, Ros Kerslake, also discussed this issue.

Department of Health

Prescription Drugs: Prices

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which prescription drugs had the highest increase in price to the NHS in the last 10 years for which data is available.

Steve Brine: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 03 November 2017.The correct answer should have been:

The table below shows the top five individual medicines and chemicals that have shown the highest increase in cost price  over the last 10 years for Net Ingredient Cost (NIC) per prescription item and NIC per quantity. Prescription medicines/chemicals have only been included where there was prescribing in both 2006 and 2016.For any medicine listed, it does not necessarily mean that the price has increased. For example, the cost per prescription item will be higher if the quantity being prescribed per prescription item has increased.This is based on Prescription Cost Analysis (PCA) data. PCA data is based on analysis of all prescriptions dispensed in the community i.e. by community pharmacists and appliance contractors, dispensing doctors, and prescriptions submitted by prescribing doctors for items personally administered in England. PCA data do not cover drugs dispensed in hospitals, including mental health trusts, or private prescriptions. Costs vary over time due to numerous factors including medicines going off patent and becoming available generically, unlicensed medicines becoming licensed medicines, shortages, the level of competition for generic medicines, as well as centrally agreed pricing schemes such as the Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme. The Department is working closely with the Competition and Markets Authority on a number of investigations into unwarranted price rises of unbranded generic medicines. Where companies have breached competition law, we will seek damages and invest that money back into the National Health Service. The top five medicines with the highest increase in Net Ingredient1 Cost per prescription item2Drug Name20062016IncreaseOrfadin_Cap 10mg£5,436.74£20,030.86£14,594.12Cerezyme_I/V Inf 400u Vl (Dry)£18,143.17£30,397.85£12,254.68Chenodeoxycholic Acid_Cap 250mg£88.57£9,580.10£9,491.54Trientine Dihydroch_Cap 300mg (Old)£218.58£5,488.22£5,269.64Sod Benz_Liq Spec 400mg/5ml£361.95£4,352.92£3,990.96Source: Prescription Cost Analysis Notes: 1NIC is the basic cost of a drug. It does not take account of discounts, dispensing costs, fees or prescription charges income, so the amount the NHS spent will be slightly different. 2Prescriptions are written on a prescription form known as an FP10. Each single item written on the form is counted as a prescription item.

Steve Brine: The table below shows the top five individual medicines and chemicals that have shown the highest increase in cost price  over the last 10 years for Net Ingredient Cost (NIC) per prescription item and NIC per quantity. Prescription medicines/chemicals have only been included where there was prescribing in both 2006 and 2016.For any medicine listed, it does not necessarily mean that the price has increased. For example, the cost per prescription item will be higher if the quantity being prescribed per prescription item has increased.This is based on Prescription Cost Analysis (PCA) data. PCA data is based on analysis of all prescriptions dispensed in the community i.e. by community pharmacists and appliance contractors, dispensing doctors, and prescriptions submitted by prescribing doctors for items personally administered in England. PCA data do not cover drugs dispensed in hospitals, including mental health trusts, or private prescriptions. Costs vary over time due to numerous factors including medicines going off patent and becoming available generically, unlicensed medicines becoming licensed medicines, shortages, the level of competition for generic medicines, as well as centrally agreed pricing schemes such as the Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme. The Department is working closely with the Competition and Markets Authority on a number of investigations into unwarranted price rises of unbranded generic medicines. Where companies have breached competition law, we will seek damages and invest that money back into the National Health Service. The top five medicines with the highest increase in Net Ingredient1 Cost per prescription item2Drug Name20062016IncreaseOrfadin_Cap 10mg£5,436.74£20,030.86£14,594.12Cerezyme_I/V Inf 400u Vl (Dry)£18,143.17£30,397.85£12,254.68Chenodeoxycholic Acid_Cap 250mg£88.57£9,580.10£9,491.54Trientine Dihydroch_Cap 300mg (Old)£218.58£5,488.22£5,269.64Sod Benz_Liq Spec 400mg/5ml£361.95£4,352.92£3,990.96Source: Prescription Cost Analysis Notes: 1NIC is the basic cost of a drug. It does not take account of discounts, dispensing costs, fees or prescription charges income, so the amount the NHS spent will be slightly different. 2Prescriptions are written on a prescription form known as an FP10. Each single item written on the form is counted as a prescription item.

Ambulance Services: Standards

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to recategorise ambulance response times more accurately to reflect journey times.

Mr Philip Dunne: There are no such plans. Following an independent evaluation, we have agreed NHS England’s recommendation to introduce an improved ambulance performance framework, including the introduction of new response time categories. National Health Service ambulance trusts are now implementing these changes.

Breast Cancer: Biosimilar Medicines

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether NHS England has provided any guidance to hospital trusts and clinicians on the introduction of a biosimilar of Herceptin (trastuzumab) for breast cancer.

Steve Brine: A final date for the availability of a biosimilar of Herceptin (trastuzumab) has yet to be agreed. Therefore NHS England has not yet issued any guidance on the introduction of a biosimilar of Herceptin (trastuzumab) for breast cancer. However, NHS England has discussed the introduction and uptake of biosimilar trastuzumab with the Cancer Vanguard. The Vanguard is a group of National Health Service trusts looking at developing new models of care and providing replicable models for cancer care nationally that will act as blueprints for the NHS. The Cancer Vanguard will provide guidance and supporting documentation to hospital trusts and clinicians in the same way that documents were provided to support the introduction of biosimilar rituximab. Once a firm date is known, NHS trusts will be contacted regarding the availability of biosimilar trastuzumab and what they must do to ensure uptake. This will include linkages to the supporting documents issued by the Vanguard.

Medical Records: Data Protection

Chris Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of delaying the roll-out of the national data opt-out programme from March 2018 to May 2018 to coincide with General Data Protection Regulations, to improve patient roll-in figures.

Jackie Doyle-Price: We are actively considering the opportunities presented by aligning roll out of the national data opt-out with implementation of General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), enabling patients and the system to derive maximum benefit from these complementary measures, designed to enable use of data in a safe, secure and legal way. Effective communication for both public and professionals will be critical to successful implementation of both GDPR and the national opt-out.

Compulsorily Detained Mental Patients

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference too the explanatory notes of the Mental Health Act 1983 (Places of Safety) Regulations 2017, how the 33 additional health-based places of safety were calculated.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The methodology is set out in paragraphs 31 to 60 of the detailed impact assessment prepared for the Policing and Crime Act 2017. This is available at: www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/528323/Impact_Assessment_-_Police_Powers_under_the_Mental_Health_Act.pdf

Compulsorily Detained Mental Patients

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will undertake an assessment of the effectiveness of the Mental Health Act 1983 (Places of Safety) Regulations 2017.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The effectiveness of the changes to be introduced by the Mental Health Act 1983 (Places of Safety) Regulations 2017 will be assessed by the Care Quality Commission as part of its duty to monitor the working of the Act and to report annually on its findings. The National Mental Health Crisis Care Concordat Steering Group for England and Wales provides an overarching structure through which a wide range of national stakeholders can provide feedback through regular contact with the Home Office and the Department of Health. Emerging information from the monitoring of the operation of the new provisions will be fed into the wider Independent Review of the Mental Health Act 1983, chaired by Professor Sir Simon Wessely, which was launched on 4 October 2017.

Compulsorily Detained Mental Patients

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he plans to publish the latest figures on section 136 detentions under the Mental Health Act 1983 and the places of safety patients are taken to.

Jackie Doyle-Price: Information on s136 detentions where the person is taken to a health based place of safety is published annually by NHS Digital. The most recent report, Mental Health Act Statistics, Annual Figures: 2016-17, Experimental statistics was published in October and is available athttps://digital.nhs.uk/catalogue/PUB30105Information on s136 detentions where the person is taken to a police station as a place of safety is published annually by the Home Office. The most recent report, Police powers and procedures England and Wales year ending 31 March 2017 second edition was published in October and is available at:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-powers-and-procedures-england-and-wales-year-ending-31-march-2017

Infant Foods

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will reinstate the Infant Feeding Survey.

Jackie Doyle-Price: There are at present no plans to commission any further Infant Feeding Surveys.

Continuing Care

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average length of time taken has been for  clinical commissioning groups to implement Continuing Healthcare fast-track packages.

Jackie Doyle-Price: NHS England does not collect or hold information on the average length of time it takes for clinical commissioning groups to implement NHS Continuing Healthcare fast-track care packages.

Gender Recognition

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 24 November 2017 to Question 113610, what plans his Department has to reduce the waiting times for a first appointment from 52 weeks to meet the NHS-wide 18 week referral target; and if he will meet NHS England to discuss its recent consultation on gender identity services for adults.

Jackie Doyle-Price: NHS England held a consultation on specialised gender identity services for adults (those aged 17 and above) which closed on 16 October 2017 and over 800 responses were received. As a consequence of the significant response NHS England had, an independent third party organisation has been instructed to provide analysis of the responses. The report will be considered by NHS England before making final decisions on future service specifications during spring of 2018. NHS England is committed to developing a new delivery model for patients accessing gender identity services that will offer high quality care supported by the 18 week referral to treatment standard and in line with the values of the NHS Five Year Forward View.

Neuromuscular Disorders

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the (a) extent and (b) effect on patient care of variation in specialist services for multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's among clinical commissioning groups in England.

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the potential for improved specialist services for multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's delivering significant savings for the NHS; and if he will make a statement.

Steve Brine: We know that variation exists between clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) in the provision of care for neurological conditions, such as Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis. Whilst it is right that CCGs have autonomy to shape services for local populations, there is a range of work ongoing at a national level to identify unwarranted variation in order to drive improvement, including: - Through the RightCare programme, which was rolled out to every CCG in 2016/17, NHS England provides practical support to commissioners to tackle unwarranted variation and identify improvements and savings, including for neurological services;- Public Health England’s Neurology intelligence network collates and interprets data on adult neurological conditions to provide intelligence for the National Health Service, policy makers, and clinicians; and- The Getting it Right First Time programme, supported by NHS Improvement, expanded earlier in 2017 to include neurology and will soon provide insight to demonstrate the value of better neurological services both in hospitals and in the community. NHS England will continue to work with the Neurological Alliance (an umbrella organisation for neurological condition charities) to support the new national Neurology Advisory Group (NAG), led by consultant neurologist Professor Adrian Williams. The NAG brings together system partners, professional bodies stakeholders to align work to improve neurological care, and has working to understand how best to utilise new and emerging data in services and outcomes. More information on national initiatives to reduce unwarranted variation and drive improvement can be found at the following links: www.england.nhs.uk/rightcare/ www.gov.uk/guidance/neurology-data-and-analysis-a-guide-for-health-professionals gettingitrightfirsttime.co.uk/

Incinerators: Health Hazards

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effect of the use of waste incinerators on health.

Steve Brine: The effects of modern municipal waste incinerators on human health were reviewed by the Health Protection Agency, whose functions were transferred to Public Health England (PHE) 1 April 2013. The report, published in September 2009, concluded “Modern, well managed incinerators make only a small contribution to local concentrations of air pollutants. It is possible that such small additions could have an impact on health but such effects, if they exist, are likely to be very small and not detectable.” PHE will review its advice in light of new substantial research on the health effects of incinerators published in peer reviewed journals. To date, PHE is not aware of any evidence that requires a change in their position statement.

Fibromyalgia

Andrea Jenkyns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether his Department has made an assessment of the merits of defining fibromyalgia as a disability.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The Equality Act 2010 defines disability as a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. Decisions about what meets this definition are not generally made on the basis of whether or not a person has a specific condition, but on the impact of that condition. The Equality Act 2010 specifies that only a very small number of health conditions (cancer, HIV infection and multiple sclerosis) are always considered to be disabilities.

NHS: Per Capita Costs

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what per capita expenditure on the NHS was in each of the last seven years at 2010 prices.

Mr Philip Dunne: The information requested is given in the table below. YearDepartment of Health Spend per person (cash) (£)Department of Health Spend per person  (2010-11 prices) (£)2010-111,9081,9082011-121,9371,9092012-131,9671,9002013-142,0381,9352014-152,0871,9532015-162,1401,9902016-172,1821,984

Obesity: Children

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the level of childhood obesity was in each region of England in each year for which data is available and what estimate he has made of the levels of childhood obesity in each of the next five years.

Steve Brine: Data on the level of childhood obesity in each region of England can be found in the attached documents ‘Obesity Prevalence in Reception’ and ‘Obesity Prevalence in Year 6’. No estimate of the levels of childhood obesity in each of the next five years has been made.



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Obesity: Children

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effect of targeting food and drink advertising at children and young people on the level of childhood obesity.

Steve Brine: Public Health England’s 2015 report ‘Sugar reduction: The evidence for action’ is available at:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sugar-reduction-from-evidence-into-actionThe report showed that all forms of advertising and marketing, including advertising on television, through social and other online media, increase the preference, choice, purchasing and consumption of high sugar foods and drinks by children. Consuming a diet high in sugar leads to weight gain and therefore contributes to childhood obesity.

Disability: Children

Sir Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to monitor the adequacy of health and social care service provision for disabled children in England.

Jackie Doyle-Price: Health and social care services for disabled children are monitored by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and Ofsted respectively. In May 2016, Ofsted and the CQC began a five-year programme of joint inspections of all local areas on their effectiveness in jointly commissioning services for children and young people with special educational needs and disability.

Cystic Fibrosis: Orkambi

Sir Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of Orkambi in treating people diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis.

Steve Brine: In July 2016, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the independent body that develops guidance on drugs and treatments for clinical / cost effectiveness for the National Health Service in England and Wales, did not recommend access to the Vertex drug Orkambi as although clinically significant for managing cystic fibrosis, the longer term outcomes and benefits were not sufficient to justify its considerable costs. Since then there has been a constructive dialogue underway between the company, NHS England and NICE, including discussion hosted through NICE’s confidential ‘Office for Market Access’. Both NHS England and NICE have been consistent in advice to Vertex that progress can only be made by working through NICE appraisal processes and the existing commercial framework.

General Practitioners: Sevenoaks

Sir Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how the proposed reorganisation of the NHS will affect GP surgeries in Sevenoaks constituency.

Steve Brine: It is the responsibility of local commissioners, overseen by NHS England, to ensure that general practitioner (GP) services meet the needs of local people. NHS England advises that, in line with its strategic vision, Mapping the Future, NHS West Kent Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) – which covers Sevenoaks – approved in July 2017 a Local Care Plan that describes the model of care, the infrastructure required to deliver this and what will change for people who live in west Kent. In the local care model, the system is organised at four different levels – general practice, cluster, local care hubs and west Kent-wide services. NHS England advises that there are seven ‘clusters’ of general practice in west Kent. Eight general practices form the Sevenoaks cluster; the third largest cluster in west Kent covering a registered population of 79,745. During 2017, the CCG has, working with health and care partners, developed and started the implementation of the service specification for a core cluster level team, focusing on prevention and planned care covering four main areas: frailty, end-of-life, dementia and mental health. In line with NHS England’s GP Five Year Forward View, the CCG is also working with clusters and practices to implement local programmes to help struggling practices, reduce workload, expand the workforce and also invest in technology and estates where needed. The cluster model is being implemented in three phases across the seven clusters. Phase 1 went live in October 2017, Phase 2 went live in November 2017 and Phase 3 is planned for April 2018. The practices in the Sevenoaks cluster were in Phase 2. More detailed information on the Local Care Plan can be found at:http://www.westkentccg.nhs.uk/about-us/local-care-plan/

European Court of Justice: Small Businesses

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether he has made an assessment of the effect of leaving the European Court of Justice on small businesses with a specialism in medical devices and who use that Court to resolve disputes.

Steve Brine: In leaving the European Union, we will bring about an end to the direct jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice in the United Kingdom. The UK Government's future partnership paper sets out the UK’s position on enforcement and reviews examples of mechanisms for resolving disputes in international agreements. It states that as part of the deep and special partnership we seek with the EU, it is in the interests of both the UK and the EU that: the rights and obligations agreed between us can be relied upon and enforced by individuals and businesses; and where disputes arise between the UK and the EU on the application or interpretation of these obligations, those disputes can be resolved efficiently and effectively. The Government's top priority for life sciences during the negotiations is to protect the safety of patients and ensure the integrity of cross-European public health systems. The Government will seek a mutually beneficial future partnership between the UK and EU that is in the interests of both sides, which builds on the convergence between our regulatory systems and gives business the maximum freedom to trade with and operate within European markets.

NHS: Procurement

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the UK leaving the Customs Union on the the ability of the NHS to  procure medicines and medical devices.

Steve Brine: The potential implications of the United Kingdom leaving the customs union on the ability of the National Health Service to procure medicines and medical devices are currently being assessed. It is in the interest of both the UK and European Union to avoid disruption in the timely access of these products; and to ensure that cross-border trade with the EU is as frictionless as possible. This will be part of the broader negotiations of the UK’s future relations with the EU.

NHS: Logos

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what payments his Department has received from third parties for the use of the NHS logo in each of the last five years.

Mr Philip Dunne: Other than the nominal £1.00 payment, included as standard in the NHS Licence Agreement, no payments have been received by the Department from third parties for use of the National Health Service logo over the last five years.

Department of Health: Pay

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many and what proportion of (a) Departmental employees and (b) NHS staff are paid through trusts rather than through PAYE.

Mr Philip Dunne: All, that is 100%, of permanently employed Departmental staff are paid via the Department or an arm’s length body’s payroll and are subject to PAYE. In respect of temporarily employed staff, all temporary staff are subject to a robust Departmental assurance process which ensures the appropriate tax is paid whether that be through the employing organisation in the case of secondments, the employing agency or the employing Professional services company in respect of contractors. The Department does not collect information about the number of National Health Service staff paid through trusts rather than through PAYE. The mechanism for paying NHS staff is a matter for individual employers.

NHS: Staff

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 22 November 2017 to Question 112826 on Nurses and Midwives: Registration, when he plans to publish the report on Workforce Information Review.

Mr Philip Dunne: The Workforce Information Review Group is a standing group of National Health Service human resources and workforce information experts combined with statisticians from NHS Digital, the Department, Health Education England and others, that works to develop and improve data standards over time. This considers the priorities for data improvement and the resources available to make changes on an incremental basis. When changes have been agreed these will be announced by NHS Digital.

Royal Brompton Hospital

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what full compliance with the standards and conditional on demonstrating convincing progress along the way means in relation to the continued provision of level 1 services by the Royal Brompton Hospital as announced by his Department on 30 November 2017.

Mr Philip Dunne: The commissioning of Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) services in England is a matter for NHS England. The Government will continue to hold NHS England to account as it takes forward the recommendations of its Review. At its Board meeting on 30 November 2017, NHS England agreed to note the outline proposal presented by the Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust for how full compliance against the standards might be achieved. NHS England also confirmed that NHS England would work with the Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust and other potential partners on the full range of options for delivering a solution that could deliver full compliance with the standards and ensure the sustainability of other connected services; and stated they would continue to commission level 1 CHD services from the Trust, conditional on the Trust demonstrating sufficient progress within required timescales. Full details of NHS England’s recommendations, including its implementation proposals, are available on its public website.

Mental Health Services: Children and Young People

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the answer of 30 November 2017 to Question 115246 on Mental Health Services: Children and Young People, if he will publish the letter sent by NHS England Directors on 27 February 2017 to CCGS and Trusts on using their budgets for the purposes intended.

Jackie Doyle-Price: A copy of the letter, sent by NHS England Directors to clinical commissioning groups and trusts sent on 15 February 2017, about plans taking place on 27 February 2017, is attached.



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Suicide

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 30 November 2017 to Question , what information his Department holds on the number of NHS  (a) frontline and (b) support staff who receive suicide awareness training.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Employment Schemes: Mental Illness

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress his Department is making on the national roll-out of the Individual Placement and Support programme.

Jackie Doyle-Price: NHS England has committed to doubling the reach of Individual Placement and Support (IPS) services by 2020/21. This will contribute to the target of helping up to 29,000 more people per year living with mental health problems to find or stay in work as recommended in the Five Year Forward View for Mental Health which is available at:https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Mental-Health-Taskforce-FYFV-final.pdfTo date, NHS England has commissioned the NHS Benchmarking Network and Centre for Mental Health to undertake a data collection exercise on activity in IPS and Supported Employment services within 2016/17 to provide an indication of current access to such services. NHS England is preparing to allocate transformation funding identified in the Five Year Forward View for Mental Health and the subsequent Implementation Plan: ‘Implementing the Five Year Forward View for Mental Health’ for the commissioning of IPS services to selected sustainability and transformation partnership footprints from April 2018. The Plan is available at:https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/fyfv-mh.pdfTo support this, the Joint Work and Health Unit has invested in an implementation support project called ‘IPS Grow’ that aims to compliment this expansion by enabling these services to be as effective as possible in supporting people who want to enter and stay in work. The Joint Work and Health Unit, in partnership with NHS England, will also be carrying out two research trials to find out whether a modified IPS model can help people with physical and/or mental health conditions get into, and stay in, paid competitive employment.

Autism: Children

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidance his Department has issued on the sharing of information between medical and educational professionals following a diagnosis of autism for a young person.

Jackie Doyle-Price: Under the Children and Families Act 2014, clinical commissioning groups, National Health Service trusts, NHS foundation trusts and local education providers must co-operate with the local authority in supporting children with a special educational need, such as autism. This includes the sharing of relevant information. The statutory guidance Special educational needs and disability code of practice:0 to 25 years issued jointly by the Department of Health and the Department for Education, provides advice on how the partners can work together and share information in their statutory roles. The two departments have also issued a guide to the Code specifically for clinical commissioning groups, health professionals and local authorities.

Prisons: Ambulance Services

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average number of times is that ambulances have been called to prisons in England and Wales per prison since March 2017.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average number of incidents of prisoners attending accident and emergency departments at local general hospitals has been per prison in England and Wales since March 2017.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The information on the average number of times an ambulance has been called to a prison, and the average number of incidents of a prisoner attending accident and emergency departments at local general hospitals is not collected centrally. In February 2013, the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) (now HM Prison and Probation Service) issued guidance to prisons and immigration removal centres operated by NOMS concerning emergency ambulance call-outs. This guidance, Prison Service Instruction (PSI) 03/2013 Medical Emergency Response Codes outlines the medical symptoms in a prisoner, for which a prison must always call out an emergency ambulance. This PSI is mandatory in all prisons in England.

Concordia

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he plans to take against Concordia as a result of the Competition and Markets Authority findings announced on 21 November 2017 that Concordia had overcharged the NHS for the provision of Liothyronine tablets.

Steve Brine: The Competition and Markets Authority has provisionally found that Concordia abused its dominant position to overcharge the National Health Service by millions for liothyronine tablets. A provisional decision does not necessarily lead to an infringement decision. Where companies have breached competition law, the Department will seek damages and invest that money back into the NHS.

Obesity: Children

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what targets his Department has set for reducing childhood obesity over the course of the 2017 Parliament.

Steve Brine: Our world-leading childhood obesity plan, launched in August 2016, aims to significantly reduce England’s rate of childhood obesity within the next 10 years. A copy of “Childhood Obesity: A Plan for Action” is attached and is available at:www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/546588/Childhood_obesity_2016__2__acc.pdf



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Mental Health Services: West Midlands

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many mental health staff were employed in the NHS in the West Midlands in (a) 2010 and (b) 2017.

Jackie Doyle-Price: NHS Digital publishes workforce statistics and the following table shows the number of full time equivalent staff working in a mental health and learning disability trust at 31 August 2013 and 31 August 2017. It should be noted that before 2013, primary care trusts also delivered some mental health services and therefore it would be misleading to report workforce numbers in mental health trusts earlier than 2013. NHS Hospital and Community Health Services (HCHS): Staff working in mental health and learning disability trusts at 31 August 2013 and 31 August 2017 RegionAugust-2013August-2017West Midlands12,32112,278 Source: NHS Digital, Provisional NHS HCHS monthly workforce statistics

Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Health Services

Melanie Onn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to increase the proportion of patients with inflammatory bowel disease who receive support and information in primary care and acute care to enable them to self-manage.

Steve Brine: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is the collective name used to describe ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. To support commissioners to deliver local services for people with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published, ‘Crohn’s Disease Management in Adults, Children and Young People’, updated in May 2016, and, ‘Ulcerative Colitis Management in Adults, Children and Young People’, in June 2013. The NICE Crohn’s clinical guideline makes clear that minimising psychological concerns and possible side effects of treatment are a key part of best practice for all people with Crohn's disease. The NICE Ulcerative Colitis clinical guideline highlights psychological support as being particularly important if a patient is considering surgery for their disease, and post-operatively, when surgery has taken place. Patient education, information and support are priorities in both guidelines. This can cover important information about diet and lifestyle, treatment and side-effects, as well signposting to support groups and other relevant services. Both guidelines can be found at the following links: www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg152 www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg166 The IBD audit programme was established over 10 years ago with the aim of improving the quality and safety of care for people with IBD throughout the United Kingdom and during this time it has delivered important improvements against NICE standards. Audit reports have covered both treatment and patient experience, the latter of which captured information about quality of information and support at discharge, to help drive improvement in this area. In 2015, eight regional service improvement workshops were conducted by the IBD programme team to share expertise and examples of best practice, and to develop action plans to implement and evaluate improvement in IBD services. Attended by clinicians from across the country, a range of improvement initiatives were taken forward as a result, including around patient information and self-management. The report evaluating this important work and more information on the audit can be found at the following link:www.rcplondon.ac.uk/projects/ibd-programme

Mental Health Services: Staff

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to Q 55 in his oral evidence to the Health Committee 31 October 2017, HC 523, whether the figure of 4,300 includes (a) staff who were already working in primary care trusts in 2013, whose roles subsequently transferred to mental health trusts as part of the reorganisation of the NHS and/or (b) the transfer of staff working at Manchester Mental Health and Social Care Trust from the care trust staff category to the mental health staff category, which occurred when the trust merged with a mental health trust in 2016-17.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The data does not allow identification of roles transferred as part of the reorganisation of the National Health Service and, as such, there is no way of separating these numbers out from the overall figure given in evidence to the committee. The figure in question relates to the change in staffing levels at mental health and learning disability trusts. The figure includes all staff who were at working at a mental health and learning disability trust at July 2013 and July 2017. The increase in numbers working in mental health and learning disability trusts could include organisational change to improve services for mental health patients and their carers.

Life Sciences

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to page 13 of the life sciences sector deal published on 6 December 2017, what steps the Government plans to take to improve NHS England’s commercial capacity and capability.

Steve Brine: The Government and its partner bodies, including NHS England, recently published the response to the Accelerated Access Review setting out plans to improve NHS England’s commercial capacity and capability in relation to medicines procurement as well as the negotiation of bespoke commercial access arrangements for high cost drugs. While establishing this commercial function is an operational matter for NHS England, the Government has already taken steps to support this process by transferring the Commercial Medicines Unit from the Department to NHS England on 1 April 2017. In addition, transferring the role of agreeing future Patient Access Schemes (PAS) from the Department to NHS England means that companies need to begin only one dialogue for each medicine. NHS England is currently in the process of recruiting a number of other key posts to support this commercial function more broadly.

Mental Health Services: Out of Area Treatment

Ms Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many out-of-borough placements for non-specialised services for acute adult psychiatric care were made for Southwark residents in each of the last five years.

Ms Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many out-of-borough placements for non-specialised services for acute children’s psychiatric care were made from the London Borough of Southwark for Southwark residents in each of the last five years.

Ms Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many children resident in the London Borough of Southwark in need of psychiatric care have been unable to access a bed in a mental health hospital in Southwark in each of the last five years.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The data requested is not collected centrally.

Patients: Transport

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 7 December to Question 116360, for what reason the Department has no plans to review patient transport guidance; and if he will make a statement

Steve Brine: The provision of appropriate patient transport services is a matter for local National Health Service commissioners, who are best placed to make effective decisions about such services to meet the specific needs of their local populations. Accordingly, there are currently no plans to review patient transport service eligibility guidance.

Health Visitors

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many full-time equivalent health visitors work in each local authority area, and how many such visitors there were before responsibility was transferred from the Department of Health.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The data is not available in the format requested.

Women and Equalities

Bullying: Ethnic Groups

Chris Elmore: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what recent discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on the level of in-person bullying against BAME people.

Nick Gibb: We welcome the publication of the Race Disparity Audit (https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/650723/RDAweb.pdf), by the Cabinet office in October 2017. Officials from the Government Equalities Office and Cabinet Office are discussing a number of issues highlighted by the audit, including any implications that it might have for the Equality Act 2010 which prohibits harassment on grounds of race in employment and the provision of goods, services and public functions.The Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS) records the number of calls they receive about harassment and victimisation of BAME people and have reported that, between October 2016 and 31 October 2017 there were 89 calls from BAME people about harassment or victimisation, out of a total of 2,235 race-related calls.

Bullying: LGBT People

Chris Elmore: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether she has met with Cabinet colleagues to discuss the level of in-person bullying against LGBT+ people.

Nick Gibb: Individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT), and those who are perceived to be LGBT, are disproportionately affected by bullying. Homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying is unacceptable and the Government is determined to tackle it. As the Department responsible for equality strategy and legislation across Government, Ministers for the Government Equalities Office regularly meet with members of the Cabinet and with Ministers from other Government Departments. Such meetings are used as an opportunity to discuss issues affecting LGBT people and how Departments can work together to reduce the inequalities LGBT people face.

Equal Pay

Mr Peter Bone: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what assessment the Government has made of the principal reasons for the current size of the gender wage gap.

Mr Peter Bone: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what the evidential basis is for the Government using positive action to reduce the gender wage gap.

Anne Milton: The government is determined to close the gender pay gap, which is currently at 18.4%. Research commissioned by the Government Equalities Office indicates that the biggest driver of the gender pay gap is women’s reduced labour market participation.The research can be accessed here: https://www.research.manchester.ac.uk/portal/files/33083313/FULL_TEXT.PDF.